While learning Spanish might take months or years, understanding common Spanish wine terms takes no time. Read on to find out how to read the best wine label online by determining its varietal, region, aging, production, year, and quality on top of the three important Spanish classifications for wines.
The Front Label
Spain features over 400 varieties spanning across 12 regions. Here’s a list of five typical terms seen on Spanish wines:
Quality
This is where the wine’s maturation method is ascertained with the help of three types of classifications - Vino de Mesa, Vino de la Tierra, and Vino de Calidad. Here Vino de Calidad is further graded based on its growing regions: DO and DOC.
Bodega
Referred to as the vineyard or vintner, bodega translates to ‘cellar’ and is seen alongside Spanish words such as castello (Castle) or viñedo (vineyard).
Región
The place where the wine is grown and produced is referred to as región. La Rioja or Cava are some examples.
Varietal
The main grape processed to create a wine is referred to as the varietal. Common Spanish varieties include Tempranillo or Albariño.
Vintage
Also called Vendimia or Cosecha, vintage translates to the year that the wine was produced. Similarly, non-vintage wine is referred to as sin cosecha.
How To Understand The Wine's Age
One of the main scales to classify the quality of Spanish wines is its maturation process. Here’s a list of terms describing the aging of Spanish wines so that you can make a good choice when shopping on online wine clubs:
Joven
Representing young and youthful wines, Joven refers to Spanish wine that is bottled within a few months of harvest, which is best enjoyed within one to two years.
Roble
Terms such as roble, semi-crianza, ermentada en barrica and ‘x’ meses en barrica are used to refer to wines aged in oak barrels for less duration than the standard requirements.
Crianza
Spanish wines are tagged crianza when the wines are matured for a minimum of two years. The reds should be oaked for at least a year and whites or rosés for 6 months at a minimum.
Reserva
DOC or DOCa red wines receive this classification when they are aged for up to three years, out of which, 12 months must be within oak barrels. In the case of white or rosés, the minimum maturation is two years, which must include oaking of at least six months.
Gran Reserva
For the elite wines from Spain, Red Gran Reserva wines must be aged for a minimum of five years with at least two years in oak and three years in the bottle. However, whites and rosés must be aged for up to 4 years which must include six months of oaking.
The Different Spanish Classifications
The following shows the core classifications seen on wines from Spain today since its inception in 1932.
Vino de Mesa (VdM)
Translated as ‘table wines’ in English, Vino de Mesa is the Spanish variety of Vin de France. It is the basic grade of quality produced from blending varied grapes from all over Spain. When a wine indicates this on the label, you won’t find information on varietal, region, or vintage.
Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)
Called the ‘regional ‘or ‘country wines’, VdlT is currently trending again owing to its unique values. This is the equivalent classification of Vin de Pays of French wines or IGP where the protected geographic location must be disclosed on the label.
Vino de Calidad (VC)
Referred to as quality wine with reference to the geographical region, VC is subdivided into DO or Denominaciones de Origen, and DOC or Denominaciones de Origen Calificada. DO refers to specific regions such as La Mancha whereas DOC is a reference to long time wine growing regions with high-grade production like Rioja.
Bottom Line
When attempting to classify Spanish wines, its quality, varietal, and age must be studied. Get started with Laithwaites or Wine Insiders wine club membership plans to shop Spanish varieties right NOW.