Spain Was The World's Top Wine Producer In 2013

More than half of last year’s harvest came from Castilla-La Mancha, the region that houses La Mancha among other denominations of wine. Photograph: Alamy 

 Spain's Wine Surplus Overflows Across Globe Following Year Of Unusual Weather -- The Guardian

Spanish wine industry tops world rankings as production surges 41% to beat French and Italian competitors

A soggy spring and sunny summer made Spain the world's top wine producer in 2013, according to figures from the country's agriculture ministry.

Official ranking from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine will not be released until May, but the Spanish ministry said that wine production surged 41% last year, with vineyards producing 50m hectolitres – enough to fill 6.7bn bottles of wine.

Spain beat competitors France and Italy, who reported harvest of 42m and 47m hectolitres respectively. Ángel Ortega, who represents wine-growers from La Mancha denomination, attributed the bumper year to unusual weather conditions: "It's not often that you see all the right climate conditions come together like that."

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My Comment: Spain !?!?!?!

A Tale Of Two La Riojas

Grapes in the northern Spanish region of La Rioja date back to at least the 9th century Photo: ALAMY

Spain And Argentina In Wine Row: A Tale Of Two La Riojas -- The Telegraph

The La Rioja region of Spain is a small province bordering the Basque country, known as the province of seven valleys.

Visitors can ski in mountain ranges including the Cebollera and La Demanda, cycle through country lanes, hunt, fish or play golf.

But it is wine production that is the biggest contributor to the region's economy and tasting tours lure many holidaymakers to the area.

The first document to make reference to the safeguarding of quality and guarantee of Rioja wines dates from the year 1650, although the King of Navarre and Aragon gave legal recognition to wines produced in the region as long ago as 1102.

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My Comment: Spain's Riojas are excellent. For anyone interested, my favorite wine is Cirsion Roda Rioja.