Home to the world’s largest vineyard area, Spain boasts a winegrowing history that is ancient and discontinuous. Several events throughout its three millennia of viticulture have threatened the industry, including the Moorish conquest of Iberia, the phylloxera crisis, a devastating Civil War, and several decades under a fascist regime, during which winemaking customs lost favor to bulk production and cooperatives. Today, Spain’s languages, cultures, and food and wine traditions remain distinct—long after the country's unification in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Spain’s heritage styles—its deep-hued rosados, nutty rancios, and slowly aged gran reservas—are now joined by more contemporary aesthetics. While some growers have adapted to a modern palate, others hold to tradition. Others still seek to reimagine classic Spanish wines for the 21st century, reclaiming indigenous grape varieties and marrying innovation to ancestry. Born from these varied philosophical approaches is a Spanish wine industry equipped with the diversity and talent to capture new generations of consumers while safeguarding a long-cherished identity.
Anthropological studies have found trace evidence of Vitis vinifera in Spain dating as early as 3000 BCE. Fragments of vine wood and other vestiges of ancient grapes have been identified at three sites in Southern Spain. The introduction of viticulture to Iberia, however, is widely attributed to the Phoenicians, who arrived and established what would become Cádiz in today’s Andalucía approximately
“This is in addition to the Vi de Finca scheme that already exists for Catalonia more broadly. Established in 2002, Vi de Finca recognizes specific growing zones and single vineyards. (Priorat's…
Hey Anthony! Great question. Vi de Finca is a bit closer to Vinedo Singular in Rioja than to Vino de Pago. The designation recognizes single sites across Catalunya that are already in DO's, The major requirements…
“This is in addition to the Vi de Finca scheme that already exists for Catalonia more broadly. Established in 2002, Vi de Finca recognizes specific growing zones and single vineyards. (Priorat's first two Vi de Finca wines were Clos Mogador and Vall Llach’s Mas de la Rosa.)”
I thought vi de finca was similar to the vinos de Pagos, as in it is something that specifically applies to estates. What does the guide mean when it says “specific growing zones and single vineyards”?
specific growing zones sounds like vi de Paratge
single vineyards sounds like vi de vinya
Hey Anthony! Great question. Vi de Finca is a bit closer to Vinedo Singular in Rioja than to Vino de Pago. The designation recognizes single sites across Catalunya that are already in DO's, The major requirements are that these vineyards have at least 5 years of age, and are picked at a 15% lower yield than the designated DO, and 10 years of conistent production plus plenty of other requirements. Whereas Vino de Pago is a fully separate DO.
Think of Vi de Finca as a way for Catalonian producers to showcase their single vineyard sites in a place where most DOs in the area don't provide the legal framework for it. Priorat is an interesting scenario as some of these producers were already Vi de Finca long before the new regional structures of the DOQ.