The country has different climate zones, from maritime and cool in the north to continental and hot in the south.
The history of wine growing in Spain goes back a long way, to the time of the Phoenicians and Romans, who introduced viticulture to the region. Today, Spain is the third largest wine producer in the world and is known for its outstanding wines.
The quality grading of Spanish wines is regulated by the "Denominación de Origen" (DO) system, which works in a similar way to the French appellation system. The different quality levels are:
- Vino de Mesa (table wine)
- Vino de la Tierra (country wine)
- Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica (wine with a geographical designation of origin)
- Denominación de Origen (Protected Designation of Origin)
- Denominación de Origen Calificada (qualified protected designation of origin)
- Vino de Pago (wine from single vineyard sites)
