Spain

Spain has a large number of native grape varieties.

More importantly they have dedicated more land to growing grapes than any other country in the world. This has led to their own individual take on Red blends and Sparkling wines.

One of the things that makes Spanish wine special is that many wineries age the wine in oak barrels and in the bottle prior to it being available for purchase. This means the buyer gets the chance to taste cellared wines that have aged to the point of tasting their best without the need to invest in storage space at home.

When you look at a Spanish wine and see the terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva, or Gran Reserva, this is the indication of how long the aging was: Gran Reserva have been cellared the longest, and Joven the shortest time aging at the winery.