Question: What does 'vino de la tierra' mean when talking about Spanish wine?
On some bottles of Spanish wine you will see 'vino de la tierra' written on the side - but what does it mean?
This page is a part of the Spanish Wine FAQ.
Answer: 'Vino de la Tierra' is Spanish for 'wine of the land' and refers to wines that do not fit into the Denominación de Origen official system of naming wines.
The Vino de la Tierra system was invented as a rebellion against what some winemakers saw as an overly strict system of classification. They believe that a wine can be of excellent quality without adhering to a strict system which can often be expensive but which does nothing for the quality of the wine.
Thanks to Mary O´Connor of Planeta Vino Wine Tasting School, Madrid for her help with this page.
