Andalucía at its most languid: warm light, red wine, slow afternoons © Michelle Chaplow
Andalucia Wine
There are over 40.000 Hectares of vineyards in Andalucia. Over half of the wine in Andalucia is produced in four "Denominación de Origen" (DO) areas (equivalent to France's Appellation d'origine controllée).
Map of Andalucia DO wine regions.
Discover Andalucia’s Wine Regions
Andalucía is a land of remarkable contrasts — and its wines reflect that diversity. From the Atlantic-influenced vineyards of Cádiz and Huelva to the high-altitude landscapes of Granada and the dry, sun-soaked countryside of Almería, each wine region has its own distinctive character, shaped by its climate, terrain, traditions and grape varieties.
The region’s Denominaciones de Origen (DO) offer an especially fascinating way to explore Andalucía. Travelling from one wine area to another, the landscape changes dramatically, and so does the style of wine. Some regions are famed for their fortified and naturally aged wines, while others are producing increasingly distinctive still reds, whites and rosés that express the character of their local terroir.
For wine lovers, exploring Andalucía’s DO regions is also a journey through the landscape itself — from vineyards beside the sea to mountain slopes and rolling inland countryside. Each appellation tells a different story of Andalucía, its people and its long tradition of winemaking. Explore the map to discover Andalucía’s principal DO wine regions and start planning your journey from vineyard to vineyard.
Jerez
Andalucia produces one of the most famous wines in the world, Sherry, from winyards in the 'Sherry triangle' of the three towns; Jerez de la Frontera - Sanlúcar de Barrameda - Sanlucar de Barrameda in the province of Cádiz
Malaga and Sierras de Malaga
Traditionally the sweet Malaga desert wines from La Axarquia east of Malaga and also Manilva in the west.
'The Ronda Wines'
Since the begining of he 2000s innovative vintners are producing interesting red and white table wines in the 'Sierras de Malaga' mainly around Ronda and the Serrania de Ronda producing what are popularly known as 'The Ronda Wines.
Montilla Moriles
Traditionally sweet desert wines and fortified wines but nowadays also includes a wider range of production from this area in Cordoba province.
Condado de Huelva
A selection of dry and sweet white wines from Huelva province.
In addition to the above there are several smaller wine making districts called "Comarcas Vinícolas".
History of AndaluciaN Wine
Nobody knows when wine-making was first introduced to Andalusia. It could have been brought there by the Greeks 2,500 years ago or even earlier, by seafaring Phoenician traders from the east. What we do know for sure is that by the time of the Romans wine was being made in Andalusia in a big way, and the activity has continued more or less uninterruptedly ever since. Wine was appreciated even during the centuries of Moorish domination: the Koran frowns on the consumption of alcohol, but the Moors made wine and imbibed it with gusto, for "medicinal" purposes. They even introduced the technique of distilling into Spain. The Spanish word for still, alambique, is Arabic in origin, as is the English and Spanish word, "alcohol".
From the 15th century onwards, Andalusian wines were shipped to appreciative drinkers elsewhere in Europe, particularly England, where there was a great fondness for Sack (as Sherry was called) and sweet wines from Málaga. This happy situation prevailed until the 19th century when European vineyards were affected by oidium (a fungus), followed by an even more devastating plague of Phylloxera, the American vine root louse, which first appeared in Bordeaux in 1868 and spread to Jerez and Málaga 20 years later. Jerez's vineyards were replanted with plague-resistant American rootstock, but some areas never fully recovered.
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| Raise a glass to Andalucia and its exquisite wines. |