Get to Know the Wines of Andalucia

Spain is a country where you can always find a delicious local wine to pair with the cuisine of the region. And the wines of Andalucia are no exception.

Our Andalucia wine-tasting adventures left us some great memories of some wonderful locations, and many fascinating and passionate people. The help you to get to know the region better, we give you a brief run-down of the wines of Andalucia. Where will your Andalucia wine journey begin?

By far the most famous wine of the Andalucia region is the sherry of Jerez. These fortified wines are famous all over the world and known in Spain as the Vino de Jerez and only wine produced in an area of Cádiz between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María, can bear this name.

Spanish Sherry

By far the most famous wine of the Andalucia region is the sherry of Jerez. These fortified wines are famous all over the world. Known as the Vino de Jerez, only wine produced in a certain area of Cádiz can bear the name. That area covers Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maríac.

The Jerez Denominación de Origen was the first Spanish denominación recognized in 1933. Consequently , it way named as D.O. Jerez-Xeres-Sherry . The D.O. of Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda followed.

Sherry types include Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Jerez dulce and Cream. No trip to Andalucia is complete without a tasting trip to one of the many Sherry Bodegas in Jerez. There, the wines are often paired with the finest local hams.

Sherry is not all that Andalucia has to offer. There are plenty of up-and-coming wine makers working hard to prove Andalucia’s worth. Particularly in the world of non-fortified wine.

The warm mountain slopes around Malaga and Granada are producing some stunning wines. With both red and white varieties covered.. All over the region there are small makers producing interesting modern wines. Plus larger producers looking to put the region on the Spanish wine map. Andalucia is a wine region to keep an eye on over the next 10 years.

Andalucian Wine Denominaciónes de Origen

Here is a list of the current officially-recognised Andalucia wine denominations. They all carry either the Denominación de Origen Protegido (DOP) or Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica (VC) label.

• Condado de Huelva
• Granada
• Jerez-Xeres-Sherry
• Lebrija (VC)
• Málaga (wine)
• Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda
• Montilla-Moriles
• Sierras de Málaga

The following carry the Indicación Geográfica Protegida (IGP) or Vinos de la Tierra (VT) label:

• Altiplano de Sierra Nevada
• Bailén
• Cádiz
• Córdoba
• Cumbres del Guadalfeo
• Desierto de Almería
• Laderas del Genil
• Laujar-Alpujarra
• Los Palacios
• Norte de Almería
• Ribera del Andarax
• Sierra Norte de Sevilla
• Sierra Sur de Jaén
• Sierras de Las Estancias y Los Filabres
• Torreperogil
• Villaviciosa de Córdoba

Of course, there are many great wines produced outside of the context of the official DOs. And you should overlook them when embarking on any tasting adventure. In fact, we encourage it. We stumbled on some of our favourite wines while straying off the beaten track.