For comprehensive information on the Spanish regions and their wines, see Spain.
Navigating a Spanish wine label
Quality hierarchy
Since the start of the 21st Century, understanding Spanish wine labels has become more complex, with the introduction of three entirely new levels of wine classification: Vino de La Tierra, Vino de Calidad and Vino de Pago. There are now more than 150 Spanish wine appellations divided between five quality tiers:
- DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada) is the highest level of Spanish wine classification, arguably alongside Vino de Pago Calificado (see below). The term Calificada translates as 'qualified' or 'guaranteed' and implies a guarantee of high wine quality. Only two regions currently hold DOCa status for their wines: Rioja and Priorat.
- DO (Denominación de Origen) indicates the geographical origin and the style of a wine. Almost all Rias Baixas wines, for example, are crisp, white Albarino-based wines from a particular area of southern Galicia. To earn the use of a DO title, wines must conform to various production conditions, which apply both to vineyard management (e.g. permitted grape varieties, planting densities, and vine yields) and winemaking techniques (e.g. aging regimes). There are about 70 DO titles, making this the broadest rung on the Spanish 'wine ladder'.
- VP (Vino de Pago) is a single-estate classification for high-end wineries unable to claim a DO title for their wines. This may occur because the vineyard is outside a DO catchment area, or because the wine style does not conform to the local DO production laws, but is nonetheless of high quality. In the first case, the estate is given standard 'Vino de Pago' status. In the second case, it is given the higher 'Vino de Pago Calificado' status. The category was introduced in 2003 and there are now 14 Vino de Pago estates. For more information about these special estates and their wine, see Vino de Pago.
- VC (Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica) means literally 'wine of quality with a geographical indication'. These wines are theoretically a step up in quality from Vino de la Tierra, but are not yet considered to be of DO quality. The VC category might be viewed as a temporary, intermediate status between VT and DO (similar in this way to France's former VDQS category). There a handful of Vino de Calidad titles, of which one example is Valtiendas VC. For a decade Cangas was probably the best known VC, but it achieved DO status in 2018.
- VT (Vino de la Tierra) means literally 'wine of the land', and focuses on the origins of the wine, rather than its quality or style. This is a very flexible category; VT wines may be varietals or blends made from a broad range of grapes, and VT law imposes few limitations on vineyard yields. In this sense it might be viewed as equivalent to France's VDP or Italy's IGT. There are about 46 VT titles, of which an example is Cadiz.
See also wine label information for France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Australia and the USA.