Wine region classification in Spain takes a quite complex hierarchical form in which the Denominación de Origen is a mainstream grading, equivalent to the French AOC and the Italian DOC. As of 2011, Spain has 120 identifiable wine regions under some form of geographical classification (10 DO de Pago/VP; 2 DOCa/DOQ; 65 DO; 4 VCPRD; and 38 VdlT. The Spanish DO is actually a subset of the EU-sponsored QWPSR (Quality Wine Produced in Specific Regions) regulatory code (Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) in Spanish) which Spain formally adopted in 1986, upon accession to the (then) EEC.[7] The Spanish appellation hierarchy was most recently updated in 2009, and are as follows:
DOC (formerly DOCa) – denominación de origen calificada ('denomination of qualified origin'), is the highest category in Spanish wine regulations, reserved for regions with above-average grape prices and particularly stringent quality controls. Rioja was the first Spanish region to be awarded DOC status in 1991, followed by Priorat in 2003. Priorat uses the alternative designation DOQ, for denominació d'origen qualificada in the Catalan language. These are the only two regions considered "above" DO status.
DO – denominacion de origin, the mainstay of Spain's wine quality control system. Each region is governed by a consejo regulardor, who decides on the boundaries of the region, permitted varietals, maximum yields, limits of alcoholic strength and other quality standards or production limitations pertaining to the zone. DOP – denominacion de origen provisional – status may be granted to aspiring regions.
VCIG – vino de calidad con indicacion geografica ('quality wine with geographic indication'), a level proposed in 2005 for wines better than vino de la terra but below DO.
VdlT – vino de la tierra ('wine of the land'), a mid-level regional wine that conforms to local norms without qualifying for DO status, the equivalent of the French Vin de Pays.
VdM – vino de mesa ('table wine'), the catch-all at the bottom of the pyramid, for all wine from unclassified vineyards, and wine that has been declassified by blending. This includes both inexpensive jug wines and some expensive wines that are not yet classified due to innovation outside traditional lines.
VP – vino de pago ('estate wine'), a special term for high-quality, single-estate wines (pago is a Spanish term for a vineyard estate) which in some cases also have DO or VdlT appellations.
VOS – Latin: vinum optima signatum (and sometimes mistaken to stand for "very old sherry" by English speakers) – applies to sherries with an average age of at least 20 years. VORS stands for Very Old Rare Sherry (or Vinum Optimu Rare Signatum).
The two DOC/DOQ regions are Priorat (Tarragona) and Rioja, the two highest-regarded wine-producing regions in Spain, which carry the special denominación de origen calificada.
The more prominent DO regions include:
Jumilla (Region of Murcia) – a very successful area. producing notable wines from ungrafted, pre-phylloxera Monastrell vines.
Campo de Borja (Zaragoza) – has recently become more prominent. It features a number of cooperatives who produce Garnacha and Tempranillo.
Jerez (Xérès) (Cádiz) – source of the English term "sherry", a fortified wine that can either be dry or sweet.
Penedès (Barcelona) – notable not only for the production of the sparkling wine Cava, but popular red wines from Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Carinena grapes.
Rías Baixas (Galicia) – known for its Albarino varietals, Spain's number-one white wine. Other whites grown here include Treixadura, Loureira, Caino Blanco, and Torrontes. Popular red grapes in this region include Caino Tinto and Sousón.
Ribera del Duero (Castile and León) – challenges Rioja for the most popular red wines produced in Spain. Almost all of its wines are made from the Tempranillo grape.
Rueda (Castile and León) – located west of Ribera del Duero, producing notable reds and whites, typically less expensive than those of its more famous neighbours.
Toro (Castile and León) – located between provinces of Zamora and Valladolid, along the river Duero, producing notable reds, such as Tinta de Toro, the local name for Tempranillo.
Arlanza (Castile and León) – established as a DO in 2005, for the wines produced near the Arlanza river in the provinces of Burgos and Palencia.
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