Spanish wines are
wines produced in
Spain. Located on the
Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9 million acres (over 1.17 million hectares) planted—making it the most widely planted wine producing nation but it is the
third largest producer of wine in the world, the largest being
France followed by
Italy. This is due, in part, to the very low
yields and wide spacing of the old vines planted on the dry, infertile soil found in many
Spanish wine regions. The country is ninth in worldwide consumptions with
Spaniards drinking, on average, 21.6 litres (5.706 US gal) per person a year. The country has an abundance of native
grape varieties, with over 400 varieties planted throughout Spain though 80 percent of the country's wine production is from only 20 grapes—including the reds
Tempranillo,
Garnacha, and
Monastrell; the whites
Albariño from
Galicia,
Palomino,
Airen, and
Macabeo; and the three
cava grapes
Parellada,
Xarel·lo, and
Macabeo.