- To insure the quality and consistency of Spanish wines, there is an official governmental ranking system in place. Spanish bodegas, in order to garner such distinction, must adhere to clearly established governmental guidelines. Through the Denominacion de Origen and the Denominacion de Origen Calificada labels, Spanish wines are classified as higher and highest quality, respectively. Additionally, each region has a locally situated and impartial agency, the Consejo Regulador, that sets the environmental and procedural standards for winemaking compliance (Ribes & Sala, n.d.).
- Historically, only the Rioja wines were certified as D.O.C. (the highest quality rating issued by the Spanish government. But, according to the Consell Regulador de la Denominació d'OrigenQualificada PRIORAT, in 2000, the Priorat wine region was granted this highly coveted classification.
Classifications:
Spanish red wines are classified based upon the length and manner in which they are aged. Interestingly enough, it appears that most Spanish bodegas prefer the use of American oak over the French oak in barrel aging their wines. They say it imparts achieves a more noticable vanilla attribute to the wine. The following classifications are ranked from low to high, based on established quality and cost (JRNet, 2011; MacNeil, 2001; Ribes & Sala, n.d.; Whitley, 2011):
- Joven ("young")
- The youngest of the wines and lowest quality of grape.
- Produced for local consumption and typically are not exported.
- Crianza ("nursed" )
- Young wine
- "Bread and butter" wine of the majority of bodegas.
- Aging (legal minimum requirement)
- Reds: Two (2) years (one 1 year in oak barrel)
- Whites*: 1/2 year in oak barrel.
- Reserva
- The use of the higest quality of grapes
- Produced from the most reputable bodegas
- Aging (legal minimum requirements)
- Reds: Three (3) years (one 1 year in oak barrel)
- Whites*: One (1) year (1/2 year in oak barrel)
- Gran Reserva:
- A special and more impressive Reserva
- Resulting in the combination of exceptional grapes and an occasionally exceptional year
- Top of the line reds
- Only produced by a small number of the best bodegas and represents less than 10% of total wine production
- Aging (legal minimum requirements)
- Reds: Five (5) years (two (2) years in oak barrel)
- Whites*: Four (4) years (1/2 year in oak barrel)
