Spanish wines are produced in the southwestern European country of Spain. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9 million acres (over 1.17 million hectares) planted - making it the most widely planted wine producing nation but it is only the third largest producer of wine in the world. The country has an abundance of native grape varieties, with over 600 varieties planted throughout Spain though 80 percent of the country’s wine production is from only 20 grapes - including Tempranillo, Albariño, Garnacha, Palomino, Airen, Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel·lo, Cariñena and Monastrell. Major Spanish wine regions include the Rioja and Ribera del Duero which is known for their Tempranillo production; Jerez, the home of the fortified wine Sherry; Rías Baixas in the northwest region of Galicia that is known for its white wines made from Albariño and Catalonia which includes the Cava and still wine producing regions of the Penedès as well the Priorat region.
Spain has a similar classification system to France and Italy, with all classified wine regions regulated under the Denominación de Origen (DO) system. Red wines are often labelled as Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva. In Rioja and the Ribera del Duero, Crianza wines are two years old, with at least twelve months spent in cask (elsewhere the oak ageing may legally be restricted to just six months). Reservas are three years old (at least one year in cask), Gran Reservas five years old (two in cask, three in bottle).
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 declassify their wines so that they have greater flexibility in 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 (VDQS) 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 which 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, and Ribera del Duero in 2008.
西班牙葡萄酒产区
西班牙拥有世界上面积最多的葡萄种植园，但严酷的生长环境和比较粗放式的种植，使总产量少于意大利和法国，位居第三。西班牙拥有600种以上的葡萄品种，以白色品种占多数。近年来西班牙在酿酒技术方面已有长足的进步，受到国际的肯定。
西班牙葡萄酒级别：
Vino de Mesa (VdM): 是最低级别葡萄酒，产区及品种都不受限制的葡萄酒，所有不隶属其它等级的葡萄园出产的酒，或品质不符规定而被降级的葡萄酒，都只能用Vino de Mesa的名称出售，常常由许多来自不同产区的葡萄酒混合而成。
Vinos de la Tierra (VdlT): 相当于法国的Vin de Pays地区餐酒
Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD): 法定产区的高级葡萄酒，又分为两种：DO 及DOC
Denominación de Origen (DO): 即DO，法定产区酒要成为DO产区，除了要建立严格的管制系统，同时所生产的葡萄酒也必须遵从传统的酿造方式。
Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa/DOQ): 即DOC，优秀法定产区酒，此标准自1991才设立，此种产区的酒皆须在原产地装瓶。
法定产区的高级葡萄酒（VCPRD），依照培养时间的长短，又分为下列三级：
Crianza：二年以上的培养期，橡木桶培养一年、瓶中培养一年的优质红酒。
Reserva：三年以上的培养期，橡木桶培养一年、瓶中培养二年的优质红酒。玫瑰红或白葡萄酒则需二年即可。
Gran Reserva：五年以上的培养期，橡木桶培养二年、瓶中培养三年的优质红酒。玫瑰红或白葡萄酒则需四年即可。