Eliminación Arancelaria

The mountain ranges of Spain influences the climates of many Spanish wine regions, isolating regions like Galicia in the northwest and protecting the Rioja region from the rain and cool wines from the Bay of Biscay.

One of the dominant geographical influences of Spanish viticulture is the vast plateau known as the Meseta Central that covers much of central Spain. From there flows to the sea several of Spain's principle rivers that are at the heart of many Spanish wine regions. These include the eastward flowing Ebro river that runs through the Rioja and several Catalan wine regions; the Duero which flows westward through the Ribera del Duero region in Spain before crossing the border into Portugal's Douro Valley which is at the heart of Port wine production; the Tajo which runs through the La Mancha region;

Guadalquivir which flows into the Atlantic at the Sherry producing village of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. In addition to the Meseta Central, several mountain ranges known as

cordilleras serve to isolate and influence the climate of several Spanish wine regions.

These include the Cantabrian Mountains that spur westward from the Pyrenees and protect regions like the Rioja from the rain and the cool of westerlies coming from the

Bay of Biscay. The Cantabrian Mountains act as a rain shadow with the coastal regions of the Basque Country receiving an average of 59 inches (1,500 mm) while the winemaking region of Rioja, near Haro, around 62 miles (100 km) away receives only 18 inches (450 mm). In Galicia on the northwest coast, the region receives annual rainfall that range from 39 inches (1000 mm) on the coast to 79 inches near the mountainous border of Castile and León.

The climate gets more extreme the further inland towards the Meseta Central and is characterized by hot summers with temperatures that can reach 104°F (40°C) with drought conditions. Many regions receive less than 12 inches (300 mm) of rain annually with most of the rain falling during sudden downpours in the spring and autumn that can pose the risk of flash flooding. Winters in these regions are characterized by cold

temperatures that can often fall below freezing around -8°F (-22°C). Towards the southeast, around Valencia, the climate is more moderate with the strong Mediterranean influence. In the south, the climate of the Sherry and Malaga producing regions of Andalusia contain some of the hottest parts of Spain. North of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Guadalquivir Valley, temperatures often reach 113°F (45°C) in the summer. To adapt to this high temperatures, many Spanish vineyards will be planted on higher elevations, with many vineyards located over 2000 feet (650 m) above sea levels. These high altitudes creates a large diurnal temperature variation with low night time temperatures that allow the grapes to maintain acidity levels and coloring. In regions with lower altitude vineyards, such as along the southern Mediterranean coast are prone to producing grapes of high alcohol levels and low acidity.

Classification

Wine produced under a Spanish DO or DOC, such as the Penedès region in Catalonia, will have that region's DO stamp on the wine label or bottle seal.

Spanish wine laws created the Denominación de Origen (DO) system in 1932 and were later revised in 1970. The system shares many similarities with the the hierarchical

origine controllata (DOC) system. As of 2007, there was 67 DOs across Spain. In

addition there are Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa or DOQ in Catalan) status for DOs that have a consistent track record for quality. There is currently only 2

DOCa/DOQ-Rioja and Priorat. Each DO has a Consejo Regulador, which acts as a governing control body that enforces the DOs regulations and standards involving viticultural and winemaking practices. These regulations govern everything from the types of grapes that are permitted to be planted, the maximum yields that can be harvested, the minimum length of time that the wine must be aged and what type of information is required to appear on the wine label. Wineries that are seeking to have their wine sold under DO or DOC status must submit their wines to the Consejo

Regulador laboratory and tasting panel for testing and evaluation. Wines that have been granted DO/DOC status will feature the regional stamp of the Consejo Regulador on the label.

Following Spain's acceptance into the European Union, Spanish wine laws were brought in line to be more consistent without European systems. One development was a five-tier classification system that is administered by each autonomous region. Non-autonomous areas or wine regions whose boundaries overlap with other autonomous communities (such as Cava, Rioja and Jumilla) are administered by the Instituto Nacional de

Denominaciones de Origen (INDO) based in Madrid. The five-tier classifications,

starting from the bottom, include:

Vino de Mesa (VdM) - These are wines that are the equivalent of most country's table wines and are made from unclassified vineyards or grapes that have been declassified through "illegal" blending. Similar to the Italian Super Tuscans from the late 20th

century, some Spanish winemakers will intentionally declassified their wines so that they have greater flexibility with blending and winemaking methods.

Vinos de la Tierra (VdlT) - This level is similar to France's vin de pays system, normally corresponding to the larger comunidad autonóma geographical regions and will appear on the label with these broader geographical designations like Andalucia, Castilla La

Mancha and Levante.

Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) - This level is similar to France's Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDSQ) system and is considered a stepping stone towards DO status.

Denominación de Origen (Denominació d'Origen in Catalan - DO)- This level is for the mainstream quality-wine regions and are regulated by the Consejo Regulador who is also responsible for marketing the wines of that DO. In 2005, nearly two thirds of the total vineyard area in Spain was within the boundaries a DO region.

Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa/DOQ - Denominació d'Origen Qualificada in Catalan)- This designation, which is similar to Italy's Denominazione di Origine

Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation, is for regions with a track record of consistent quality and is meant to be a step above DO level. Rioja was the first region afforded this designation in 1991 and was followed by Priorat in 2003.

Additionally there is the Denominación de Pago (DO de Pago) designation for individual single-estates with an international reputation. As of 2007, there was 5 estates with this status.