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It is important to understand how wine labels in Europe differs from the rest of the world if you plan on buying European wine.

In the US and the rest of the world, if you want to buy a Pinot Noir, you find a bottle that says Pinot Noir. The odds are you will get a better wine if you buy from a region that is known for producing better Pinot Noir grapes. The same theory holds true for all wines produced in the US and the rest of the world. The US does classify wine as coming from and AVA (American Viticultural Area) to identify the top wine growing regions.

In Europe, bottles are labeled for the region they come from. You buy a bottle from Rioja, you know the grapes are grown in the Rioja region, but not necessarily the grape varietal. The odds are you will get a better wine if you buy from a region that is known to produce higher quality wine. This is the reason for the classification system (DO and DOCa in Spain, AOC and AC in France, DOC and DOCG in Italy, QmP in Germany, etc.

Spain has more acres of vines than any other country with over 15% of the worlds vineyards. Spain's dry climate causes the grapes to produce less juice than other wine regions, making Spain third in wine production. Tempranillo and Grenache are the main grape varietals in Spain. In addition to wine, Spain produces a large amount of brandy and sherry (a fortified wine similar to port). Spain consists of 17 wine regions. The most notable are Rioja, Priorat, Ribera del Duero and Rueda.

The 2007 Red Wine of the Year is from Rioja

Spanish wine can be classified into one of four categories:

Vino de Mesa = Table wine with no restriction on where the grapes come from.

Vino de la Tierra = Grapes from a specified region but not from a DO or DOCa region.

DO (Denominacion de Origin) = From a region deemed to produce quality wine.

DOCa = Classification given only to wine produced in the Rioja and Priorat regions.

In addition to the classifications above, DO and DOCa wines are classified by length of time aged before being released:

Joven = Aged little or none at all.

Crianza = Aged at least six months in the barrel and one year in the bottle with a minimum total aging of two years.

Reserva = Aged at least one year in the barrel and one year in the bottle with a minimum total aging of three years.

Grand Reserva = Aged at least two years in the barrel and three years in the bottle with a minimum total aging of five years.


	Food and Wine Pairing Food and Wine Pairing Guidelines Pairing Beef and Wine Pairing Chicken and Wine Pairing Fish and Wine Pairing Seafood and Wine It is important to understand how wine labels in Europe differs from the rest of the world if you plan on buying European wine. In the US and the rest of the world, if you want to buy a Pinot Noir, you find a bottle that says Pinot Noir. The odds are you will get a better wine if you buy from a region that is known for producing better Pinot Noir grapes. The same theory holds true for all wines produced in the US and the rest of the world. The US does classify wine as coming from and AVA (American Viticultural Area) to identify the top wine growing regions. In Europe, bottles are labeled for the region they come from. You buy a bottle from Rioja, you know the grapes are grown in the Rioja region, but not necessarily the grape varietal. The odds are you will get a better wine if you buy from a region that is known to produce higher quality wine. This is the reason for the classification system (DO and DOCa in Spain, AOC and AC in France, DOC and DOCG in Italy, QmP in Germany, etc. Spain has more acres of vines than any other country with over 15% of the worlds vineyards. Spain's dry climate causes the grapes to produce less juice than other wine regions, making Spain third in wine production. Tempranillo and Grenache are the main grape varietals in Spain. In addition to wine, Spain produces a large amount of brandy and sherry (a fortified wine similar to port). Spain consists of 17 wine regions. The most notable are Rioja, Priorat, Ribera del Duero and Rueda. The 2007 Red Wine of the Year is from Rioja Spanish wine can be classified into one of four categories: Vino de Mesa = Table wine with no restriction on where the grapes come from. Vino de la Tierra = Grapes from a specified region but not from a DO or DOCa region. DO (Denominacion de Origin) = From a region deemed to produce quality wine. DOCa = Classification given only to wine produced in the Rioja and Priorat regions. In addition to the classifications above, DO and DOCa wines are classified by length of time aged before being released: Joven = Aged little or none at all. Crianza = Aged at least six months in the barrel and one year in the bottle with a minimum total aging of two years. Reserva = Aged at least one year in the barrel and one year in the bottle with a minimum total aging of three years. Grand Reserva = Aged at least two years in the barrel and three years in the bottle with a minimum total aging of five years. Spain

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