It is unclear precisely where vines were first cultivated in Spain or who brought winemaking techniques to the Iberian peninsula. Various sources believe the first vineyards were cultivated on the southwest coast of Andalusia, which may also have been the entrance point for the first vines reaching the peninsula.

This seems to be the most likely theory, particularly given the presence of the Phoenicians there  approximately 3,000 years ago. They were a trading culture and founded a port in the southwest, which they called Gadir (now Cádiz). Later they moved inland, founding another city they called Xera (now Jerez), where they planted vines in the surrounding hills. The warm climate enhanced the strong, sweet nature of the wines, allowing them to stand up well to long journeys. By the early Christian era this factor, combined with the deeply rooted commercial spirit of the Phoenicians, made Spanish wines one of the most frequently traded products in the Mediterranean and North Africa.

The Romans continued to produce wine on the peninsula, introducing their own particular techniques over time - for example, the addition of resins and aromatic essences, and ageing in small clay amphorae in sunlit attic areas or next to chimneys. According to contemporary accounts these wines acquired fruity and floral aromas and flavours, and a much-appreciated smoky taste. The need to supply the vast empire and its legions with wine contributed to building up Hispania's already notable wine trade.

The decline of the Roman Empire and invasion of Hispania by northern barbarian tribes brought wine making in Spain to a temporary halt, although the subsequent arrival of the Visigoths counteracted this  influence. Due to their contact with the Romans in the outlying provinces of the Empire, the Visigoths placed great significance on winemaking.

The arrival of the Arabs in the 8th century slowed the development of winemaking as the Koran prohibited the consumption of fermented and alcoholic drinks. Despite this religious prohibition, the cultivation of vineyards continued and even prospered under Moslem rule even if they were reoriented to the production of grapes or non-fermented must. Certain dynasties were liberal in their treatment of the dominated Christians and allowed them to continue cultivating vineyards and making wine, particularly in the monasteries.

Spanish winemaking really took off after the Reconquest of Spain by the Catholic Kings.  The re-established religious communities and monasteries played a significant role in this process; the monks and friars of various orders worked to recover the winemaking tradition.  Wine was vital for their religious rituals, and they also filled their cellars, supplying wine to pilgrims and local taverns. Thus, the vineyards flourished once again in areas surrounding the monasteries and abbeys, and later in other regions.

Throughout the centuries, wine not only became an essential part of local diet. Its potential for sale also took on enormous importance.  The emergence of commercial exchanges brought with them the birth of different wine producing districts, and created economic activity in the various towns and regions that supplied the Court.

In the 19^th century the unfortunate arrival of phylloxera in northern Europe, which devastated the vineyards at mid-century, contributed to the consolidation of the winemaking industry. During this period, many French winemakers settled south of the Pyrenees, finding this the only way to preserve their livelihood.  They brought with them their grape varieties, machinery and methods, among which were the planting patterns of the vines, control of fermentation and the use of sulphurous anhydride. Some of the Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot vineyards existing today in La Rioja and Ribera del Duero date back to this era.

The phylloxera blight served, therefore, to bring modernisation to Spain's vineyards and wineries.  When, at the end of the century, the blight finally reached the peninsula, a solution had been devised to put an end to it: grafting onto an American rootstock immune to the blight. As a result the recovery of the vineyards was much less traumatic in Spain than in other European countries.

The 20^th century proved to be crucial to the Spanish wine producing industry. At first, cautiously, certain reforms were introduced to improve the quality of wine. New industrial techniques began to replace some old-fashioned traditions. The industry also had to confront the Civil War, which condemned the vineyards to abandonment, and, at the end of that, the Second World War, which brought the European wine market to a standstill. The sector began to recover in the fifties.  Since then, Spanish winemakers have undertaken the re-organisation of their vineyards and the renovation and modernisation of winemaking processes and wineries, to place Spain on an equal footing with winemakers elsewhere.

The transformation of the image and quality of Spanish wines during the last quarter of the 20^th century has been truly remarkable.  During this period, a group of hard-working pioneers began to introduce and apply new wine producing techniques being used elsewhere.

In particular, recent years have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of master winemakers who have learned to blend tradition and quality with innovation, giving rise to unique wines of unprecedented quality that enjoy unqualified success worldwide.