|
Spain is an enigma. When you think of the largest vineyards in Europe you probably think of France. Spain, however, has 700,000 more acres of grapes than France. If you think about staples of the Mediterranean diet such as olive oil, most tend to think of Italy, yet Spain produces almost double the amount of olive oil than Italy. Although Spain is no larger than say, Texas, its climate and terrain vary all over the map. Wedged between France and Portugal--with the Atlantic on its north and west edge and the Mediterranean along the east and south--Spain has everything from mountains to near-deserts to sunny coastal plains. This creates a multitude of microclimates to grow a diverse variety of grapes, from delicate sparklers to seriously gutsy reds to that quintessential Spanish specialty, sherry.
|