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Worthier Wines from Andalusia

Andalusia – The Home of Great Wines

Andalusia, which is located in the southwestern part of Spain, is an important wine region worth noting.

This, which is home to the world-famous fortified wine called Sherry, is nesting more than 40,000 hectares of vineyards.

As we all know, the wines of Spain have a great reputation in the global wine market. But, when it is from Andalusia, they would carry an extra weight for their quality and taste.

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It’s very exciting to note that almost 75% of the wines from Andalusia are backed by the DOC titles. So, without any delay, let’s continue to learn about the worthier wines from Andalusia here…

History of Andalusia Wines

The history says that the first vineyards in Andalusia were planted during the 1100 BC by the Phoenicians.

Followed by these activities, the Romans came along to develop the wine production in a big way and the industry’s development continued from there.

The wines of Andalusia were greatly applauded by the Moorish domination thereafter.
This way, the Andalusia’s wine industry continued to flourish until the nineteenth century, when the vineyards were affected by odium and phylloxera on a larger scale.

After this massive blow, the vine cultivation and wine production picked up again by replanting with the plague-resistant varieties.

These efforts laid the foundation of the region’s modern wine industry and today, there are more than 40,000 hectares of vineyards in the Andalusia region.

Climate and Vine Cultivation in Andalusia

As we are aware, the climate would significantly affect the wine production in a particular region.

Thus, Andalusia can be broadly divided into three climate zones with respect to wine production as follows:

Cooler West Coast

The Atlantic-influenced west coast is cooler and is found to be encompassing the Jerez and Sanlucar de Barrameda areas that produce Sherry.

Mediterranean South

This zone represents the areas surrounding Malaga and Sierras de Malaga that experiences a Mediterranean type of climate.

Hotter Montilla-Moriles

This zone is found to be hotter when compared to the above zone and is experiencing a dry type of climate. Of these, the latter two climatic zones are found to be more suited for producing the signature grape varieties of Andalusia like Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel that are used in the making of heavier dessert wines.

On the other hand, the southwestern coastal areas with the lower temperatures are more suited for the production of Palomino grape varieties with higher acidic levels.

Wines from Andalusia

Spanish Red Wine - Spanish White Wine - Spanish Rosé Wine - Spanish Dessert Wine

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Wine Production in Andalusia

Right from the historical times, the region has been focusing on the production of high-quality wines.

As a result of these efforts, over 70% of the region’s vineyards are found to be operating under the control of one of the 6 DOs.

DOs of Andalusia

  • Condado de Huelva of 1933
  • Jerez-Xérès-Sherry of 1933
  • Málaga of 1933
  • Manzanilla de Sanlúcar of 1964
  • Montilla-Moriles of 1985
  • Sierras de Málaga of 2001

Jerez DO

Of these, the Jerez DO is undoubtedly the star of Andalusia. The most popular grape varieties used in this DO are:

  • Palomino Fino (95% of production)
  • Pedro Ximénez
  • Moscatel

These wines are found to be subjected to a unique aging process. The types of wines that are produced under this designation are:

  • Fino
  • Manzanilla
  • Amontillado
  • Oloroso
  • Palo cortado
  • Pedro Ximénez

16 GI’s

Apart from the DOs, the region is also home to as many as 16 GIs and a wide range of historic wines with no denominations.

Wine Grapes of Andalusia

Besides the varieties that are in the Jerez DO wines, Airen is also found to be an important grape variety of Andalusia.

However, this is used mostly in the blended wines here.

We can also find some international grape varieties in Andalusia. Some examples include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.

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Author

Tharani Rajamanickam

Tharani Rajamanickam

Winewriter

I am Tharani, I have Bachelors degree in Biotechnology. I am passionate about the wine industry and continue to explore, learn and share and I bring in a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you keep updated with best wines in the world. Stay tuned..

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