In this era when everyone is busy tearing off labels, some people instead bear the divine aura until the earth is deserted.
As soon as you step into the art capital of Spain, the buildings along the streets seem to automatically put on fluorescent screens, announcing its past and present to the world.
This is a place where architects dream of it, whether it is Gaudí or Picasso, it is a ceiling that ordinary people such as Er can hardly touch.
It may seem like an exaggeration to say that Barcelona is the living room of Gaudí's house, but a Casa Milà alone is enough to remain famous for centuries.
The love of architecture in Spain has long been engraved in the bones, even Spanish wineries have not let go. There are countless wineries full of avant-garde art styles, and the visual experience is very different from the close.
This is a must-visit place for literary and artistic people in their lives, and wine lovers are close behind.
If you come to Spain, you can't avoid the vineyards, after all, the vineyard area here is far ahead of other wine-producing countries, and the millions of hectares of vineyards are larger than some island countries.
No matter what delicious meal you eat here, the meal must be inseparable from wine, and the wine that satisfies the appetite is dazzling.
There are 70 appellations of origin in Spain, of which only 2 are DOCa, and the rest are DO appellations. On the way to upgrade to DOCa in major production areas, becoming DO is a necessary grade for each production area.
Since only 2 DOCa are elected in all of Spain, as long as you see DOCa, blind selection with closed eyes is not a problem. One of them is the famous DOCa Rioja, and the other is the Doca Priorat.
However, the production area of Priolato is located in Catalonia in northeastern Spain, and the local language is Catalan, so DOCa is written as DOQ, so if the DOQ logo is found on the bottle of Priolato, it means DOCa.
In addition to the 2 DOCa regions, Spain has more than 70 DO regions, which not only have high requirements for quality, but each has its own unique style characteristics. Today we present ten unmissable Spanish wine regions.
01.
Rioja DOCa Rioja
As a superstar of Spain, Rioja has always been the center of attention. The history of grape cultivation here dates back to 873 AD, which is equivalent to planting the seeds of grapes long before the end of the Tang Dynasty. Such an ancient and high-quality appellation naturally nourishes excellent wineries, and more than 600 wineries have taken root here so far.
Rioja has always been home to Tempranillo, a variety of wines that are fruity and become incredibly silky as they age. The winery often uses a blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo to give it a full-bodied body and aromatic fruitiness. In addition, Rioja's fresh and delicious white wines are made from Spain's local Viura and other local grape varieties, with a unique flavor of their own.
02.
Priorat (DOCa Priorat)
Located in southwestern Catalonia, the Priolato appellation may seem small and barren, but it is Spain's treasure trove of rare wines. Most of the vineyards here are located on steep slopes, the soil of the vineyards is dominated by slate, and the barren land does not feed people but grapes.
Because it is warm and dry all year round, red grape varieties are grown in the area, and Garnacha divides nearly half of the territory, far more than all white grape varieties grown.
03.
The banks of the River Duero (DO Ribera del Duero)
As a rising star of Spain, the banks of the River Duero are also a blessing for many famous places. It attracted many powerful winemakers to put down root, and the winery mushroomed, growing from more than 20 to more than 300 in a few decades.
Located on the northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, the banks of the Duero River are dry in summer, cold and long, with plenty of sunshine throughout the year and large temperature differences between day and night. Over the centuries, Tempranillo has adapted to the changing climate and produces wines that are fruity and strong, with particularly strong acidity.
04.
DO Rueda
Located in the north-central part of the Castilla y León region, nature and the indigenous white grape variety Verdejo are inextricably linked to the rise and fall of the region. As early as the eleventh century, during the reign of King Alfonso VI, Verdejo had come to Lueda to take root and lay in its golden age, dormant for thousands of years.
The vineyards are rich in rocky soils, and the Federjo grape varieties are nourished by the sun here, producing wines with rich aromas and refreshing fruity notes of citrus and melon.
05.
DO Toro
Despite its proximity to the northwest of Lueda, the Toro appellation bears witness to the history of Spanish winemaking. Toro already exported wine throughout Spain as early as the Middle Ages, when Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas to also carry Toro wine, which had been favored by Spanish royalty for centuries.
When phylloxera aphid infestation swept through Europe in the nineteenth century, Toro's vineyards were spared by their dry, sandy soils. Therefore, the local area retains old vines that are more than 100 years old. The widely cultivated Tinta de Toro is a native variant of Tempranillo, known for its strong body and full-bodied style.
06.
DO Navarra
People who make pilgrimages to Santiago can't avoid Navarre. A must-visit for pilgrims, the Navarre appellation began making wine as early as the 2nd century AD, and later followed the pilgrims to spread further afield.
Located in the south of the autonomous community of Navarre, close to the Pyrenees to the north and the Ebro plain to the south, this appellation forms a natural barrier for grape growth. For many years, rosé wine was the domain of rosé, so Grenache grows more area than any other variety.
07.
DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
The famous Jerez is the birthplace of Spanish sherry, there are so many production areas in the world, but only this production area has sherry, Shakespeare once praised sherry as "Spanish sunshine in a bottle", no matter where it goes, it is enough to shine in the audience.
In the 10th century BC, the Phoenicians came to Spain and, incidentally, spread winemaking techniques to Jerez. However, it was not until the sixteenth century that Sherry sang all the way to England on the east wind of the Great Voyage, and after coming to England, it quickly rose to the level of celebrity darling.
08.
Lower Bay Area (DO Rías Baixas)
Located in Galicia, northwestern Spain, the Lower Bay region "Rias Baixas" means "low estuary" in Galician and is said to be the finger print that God accidentally left when he created it.
Here is the next supernova of the Spanish white wine scene. Among them, Albariño is the soul variety of the lower bay, with a strong wind bone in the light body, and the fresh and crunchy taste is always hard to refuse.
09.
DO La Mancha
The first impression of the La Mancha appellation can only be its size, and it is a great thing to be proud of its almost 200,000 hectares of vineyards. The continental climate is characteristic, and the summer heat is dry and sunny, which is a blessing for the grapes.
Only if the vineyards are large enough can La Mancha allow the local variety Allan Airén to shine on the world stage. However, Ellen's cultivation has now been greatly reduced, and more interesting and deep wines are emerging in the land.
10.
DO Bierzo
As early as 2,000 years ago, the Romans came here to pan for gold and collect artifacts, bringing with them labor and winemaking skills. In that era of lack of materials, wine became a fairy happy water in daily life, prompting them to constantly change the production process and the flavor of wine.
The Bierzo appellation is located in the autonomous community of Castilla and León, an area with several valleys, mountainous lands and vast plains. The wines here are unique and full-fledged, with rich and delicate tannins, making them a rising treasure region in Spain.
There are so many choices, it is impossible to have them all. When you leave Spain, you always leave crying because of the wine you haven't tasted yet, but there is an excuse to do it again.