Land of wines

1. Market situation

The Spanish wine sector is hugely important both in terms of the economic value that it generates as well as for the number of jobs its sustains and its role in environmental conservation.

With nearly 1.2 million hectares under vine (of which 97.4% is for wine, 2% for table grapes, 0.3% for raisins and the remaining 0.3% is plant sales), Spain continues to be the country with the largest area of vine cultivation in the European Union and the world (accounting for one third of the total EU area, followed by France and Italy with approximately 25% each, representing more than 15% of the world’s area under vine). Spain’s wine producing tradition extends back to the Romans. Vines are Spain’s third ranked crop by area after cereals and olive trees.

According to data from the International Organization of Vine and Wine (O.I.V.) the decline in grape cultivation areas for wine in the European Union is offset by growth outside of the EU, and the total global cultivation area remains virtually unchanged, falling from 7,930,000 hectares in 2005 to 7,924,000 in 2006.