Posts Tagged ‘Spain’
Unless you have spent a good bit of time touring Spain’s beautiful countryside, you may not know that in many ways the country is one big vineyard. In that respect it is very much like California’s Napa Valley and
Sonoma County. It is hard to drive for more than a few minutes in any direction without seeing vineyards. The same is true for most regions of Spain.
Spain has been producing wine off and on for nearly 3,000 years. Excepting a big gap between 711 A.D. and 1492 A.D., when conquering Islamic Moors outlawed wine production, it has mostly been on. In fact Spain introduced vineyards to the Americas. Spaniards sent the first cuttings to Mexico in the 16th century. By 1701 vines and cuttings were sent to Baja, California. It took until 1830 for the vineyards to work their way up to Sonoma County, thanks largely to the Spanish missionaries who also built a series of missions from south to north in California. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Alidas Crianza, America, Baha, California, France, Grapes, LaMancha, Mexico, Napa Valley, Ribera del Duero region, Sonoma County, Spain, Syrah, Tempranilla, Tenerife, Vina Mambrilla, Vitas Terrarum winery | 
Tags: California, France, Italy, Spain, Spanish wine history, Spanish wines, Tenerife, Wine
