Rancios wines were totally oxidized and heavily reduced, becoming safe in terms of storage. We can think of them as either sweet or rancios (rancid). The first wines produced in Spain were strong. As the Reconquista progresses from north to south the role of wine increased all over the country. It took seven centuries to reconquer the territories and during those centuries wine was still produced by local farmers but alcohol was mainly used for medicine, perfumes, or cosmetics. The Godos followed Romans after the Western Roman Empire fell in the VI century but at around 711 Spain was invaded by the Moors that arrive from Afrida and that by 722 had occupied most of what we know today as Spain. Romans invaded areas where local Iberos and Celts lived and Romans introduced the fermentation of wine in stone troughs (rests of such throughs can be still found in many areas in Spain), and the conservation of wine in clay containers like amphoras. Why travel wine from so long if it could be produced there? Not far from the coasts of Gadir Phoenician traders found a perfect place to harvest grapes and this gave bright to the “triangulo de Jerez de La Frontera”, the golden triangle of Jerez, which consists of San Lucar de Barrameda, Jerez de la Frontera, and El Puerto de Santa María and which today the sherry wine route.Īfter the Phoenicians, the Romans ruled in most of Spain and Romans enjoyed the pleasures of Baco so much… vineyards were planted, wine was produced in many different areas of Hispania. When the Phoenicians arrived they brought wine from other parts of the Mediterranean.

Spanish wine maps