While the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain, the wine is pouring all over the country. From a day at the beach to a busy evening at the tapas bar, you will find yourself with a glass of wine in hand in Spain.

This is mainly due to the country’s successful, delicious and ever-present wine production. Spain devotes the largest amount of land in the world to vineyards, becoming a hot spot for wine lovers. This country’s rich history of winemaking dates back at least 3,000 years and has sustained a reputation as one of the top red wine producers. While this long history rivals its Italian and French competitors, Spanish vineyards are hardly stuck in the past.

New wineries have been taking historical wine making practices and bringing them into the modern world to create new and innovative wines. To see what these winemakers are up to, you can take a wine tour from bustling cities like Barcelona to the Spanish countryside for scenic vineyard views. In order to get the best experience, it is important to know your wine preferences.

There are a diverse variety of grapes grown in the country due to climate variations, allowing each region to specialize in something different. Those who prefer white wines may be interested in the cool, northwestern regions of Spain. Here the crops are exposed to cooler weather which yields early-ripening grapes. This is important in popular white wine varieties like Albariño.

White wine lovers will also enjoy the white wines derived from the Garnacha Blanca grape in Empordá and Monstant. However, many of Spain’s most prized wines are the reds. In the Ebro River Valley, you will find the Rioja region which is often referred to as the Bordeaux of Spain. Additionally, the up-and-coming Northwest region Priorat offers high-mineral and intense reds that will delight any red wine enthusiast.

Whether you wish to sleep among the grapes in a vineyard hotel or need a rural escape from your city travels, you will find yourself sipping some of the top wines in the world. The next time you are in Spain, raise a glass and explore all Spanish wine has to offer.

— Amanda Ekstrand, intern