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A Brief and Incomplete Look at Spain's Wine History

By rreichert
  • Jan 1, 711

    Moors invade Spain

    Moorish result diminishes wine trade
  • Jan 1, 1492

    Moors defeated / Exploration of Americas

    Re-claiming their country, Spain's wine industry returns; export opportunities arise with exploration of Americas

  • Britain loves Sherry

    Spanish Armada defeated and Sir Francis Drake's fleet takes equivalent of 180,000 cases of Sherry beginning Britain's love affair with Jerez-made wines

  • Rioja takes notes from BDX

    Rioja winemaker, Manuel Quintano, adopts Bordeaux method of aging using large barrels.

  • Small oak casks from BDX

    Luciano de Murrieta introduces small oak casks from Bordeaux to produce first "modern" Rioja

  • First industrial bodega

    Luciano de Murrieta develops Spain's 1st industrial-scale bodega

  • Torres leads wine business

    Located in Penendès, Torres was Spains leading winery.

  • Cava Created

    First Cavas are produced using the traditional method or méthode champenoise used for French Champagne - vinted by Don José Raventós.

  • Phylloxera invades Spain

    Late 19th century

  • Railway expands Rioja

    Rail links Rioja village to northern coast via Bilbao making shipment of wine to France easier

  • Phylloxera in Cava

  • Phlloxera in Rioja

    Louse devestates and destroys 70% of existing vineyards

  • WWI Begins

  • WWI Ends

  • Rioja DO established

  • DO Laws established

    Wine laws similar to the Appelation d'Origine Controlée in France are established in Spain

  • Spanish Civil War Begins

  • Spanish Civil War Ends

  • WWII Begins

  • WWII Ends

  • Rioja begins to Recover

    Rioja is making a come-back after Phylloxera & Franco

  • Cariñena DO established

    The oldest DO in Aragón is recognized.

  • Vintage of the Century

    An amazing vintage allows Spanish wine a turning point in history

  • Stainless steel & temperature controlled fermenting

    Torres is the first to develop a crisp, aromatic white using new technology for fermentation.

  • Gyro Palette introduced by Freixenet

    A Spanish Cava producer introduces use of a machine which automates rémuage, or riddling - the process of moving yeast to the neck of the bottle for removing. Invented in 1968 by two Frenchmen.

  • Priorat established as DO

  • Spain returns to democracy

  • DO laws revised

  • Bordelaise Buffooned by Spanish Wine

    A Spanish wine entered into Gault Miller French Wine Olympiad, a French wine competition, and takes first place above Bordeaux's finest

  • Albariño to talk about

    The 80s lead to modernization in Rías Baixas resulting in very good Albariños.

  • Spain joins EU

    After joining the European Union, investments flood in and bolster the wine industry.

  • Rías Baixas - 5 commercial wineries

  • Cava DO formed

  • Costers del Segre DO formed

  • DOCa created

    Denominacíon de Origen Calificada becomes the highest ranking wine category - two exist today: Rioja & Priorat

  • Rías Baixas - 88 commercial wineries

  • Rioja made DOCa/DOC

    The Rioja wine region is promoted to Denominación de Origen Calificada status - at that time the only one

  • Drought leads to irrigation expirimentation

    1992-1993 drought results in vineyards experimenting with artificial irrigation, which is currently not allowed.

  • Sherry gets serious

    The term "Sherry" is defined solely by those wines from the Jerez region.

  • General Catalunya DO created

    While maintaining the DO mark, wines labelled Catalunya are now from a variety of internal regions.

  • 1100 -500 BC: 1st wine made in Andalucía

  • 100-500 BC: 1st Wine Made in Andalucía

  • 1000-500 BC: 1st wine made in Andalucía

  • Priorat becomes the 2nd DOCa

  • 200 BC: Romans encourage boom in vinegrowing

  • Cava trounces Champagne

    Cava becomes the best selling sparkling wine, edging out Champagne from France

  • 200 BC: Romans boost vinegrowing

  • Montsand strikes it's own trail

    Montsant is granted DO status outside of Tarragona

  • Irrigation allowed

    After expirimentation in the 90s, DO laws are revised to permit irrigation.

  • Wine Academy of Spain founded

  • DO Pago created

    A level of quality between DO and DOCa is established - currently there are 7 DO Pago regions

  • Pancho Campo earns MW

    Pancho Campo becomes the first Spaniard to achieve the level of Master of Wine

  • Wines of Ribera del Duero gain int'l recognition

  • Ribera del Duero DO

    Region in north-central Spain earns becomes an official Denominación de Origen