History of the Spanish wines:

How the grapevine arrived at Spain, he is something that cannot be affirmed for sure. One thinks that they were the Greeks, but also is possible that they were the Punic ones. In any case what if we can assure it is that the knowledge that we have of Wine in our country it dates from very old. Possibly of century 1 a.C, because there are documents that therefore confirm it. At the historical time of Hispania, the first grape growers in using with masters the techniques for the obtaining of the must of the grape were the Romans.

In the beginning of the Average Age, century V, the Visigodos invaded the peninsula and had great fame of wine drinker, although already cider and beer elaborated. When in the middle of century VIII, Emir Abderraman I, of the family of the Omeyas, after fleeing from Damascus and taking refuge in North Africa, it put foot in the Iberian Peninsula being based in Cordova, it could appreciate the great amount of wine that the Spanish Arabs consumed until the Coram prohibition arrived. During the period of reconquers it became to replant the grapevines that had been devastated by the war, being then the Christian religious communities and monasteries that played an important role in that work of recovery of the vineyards.

The vines were planted around the monasteries and they went extending until covering the river basins of the Duero and Ebro, growing throughout the Way of Santiago where arise the wines from the Ribera del Duero.

During century XVIII, after to have suffered a great plague that ended the existing vines, a process of renovation in the Spanish ethnology with new types of grapevine begins mainly originating of France and Italy. Century XIX is characterized by the transformation of the artisan techniques in new industrial procedures.

Century XX is transcendental for the wine as far as the evolution of its quality. In its years 30 the Statute of the wine is created and in 1970 the Statute of the vine of the wine and the alcohol is dictated.

The evolution of the quality comes given, first, by the Convention of Paris in 1883 and soon by the agreement of Madrid in 1891 and later the one of Lisbon in 1958 on the protection of the Denominations of Origin like guarantee of the quality of wines. Culminating in 1970 with the creation of the National Institute of the Denomination of Origin.