Spanish Wine Scholar Program Developer
Rick Fisher lives and breathes Spain.
Part Catalan, Rick’s passion for his Spanish heritage and a desire to educate others about Spanish culture, food, and wine led him to create Bodega: Eat. Drink. Explore. ESPAÑA! (www.bodegaspanishwine.com) in 2009.
He has also been a contributor to the Spanish and Portuguese wine site, CataVino as well as Glass of Bubbly, a UK-based magazine focusing on sparkling wine.
Cosecha. Joven. Viejo. And the list goes on. Many wine-producing countries use local-language wine-related terminology without realizing their consumers are unaware of their meaning. Even native language speakers are sometimes confused by these terms as they are technical and/or relate to wine law.
No need to worry! Below is your very own Spanish Wine Glossary (in alphabetical order) providing the top 25 wine terms you need-to-know to navigate Spanish wine.
Are you ready to dive into one of the world’s greatest wine-producing countries? If so, our next Spanish Wine Scholar Instructor-Led course is about to start, and we would love to have you join us! If you still aren’t sure, then take a look at these ten reasons why you should be studying Spanish wine.
Spain began linking wine to “place” early on. As far back as the beginning of the 20th century, the need for wine regulations became self-evident. The country was experiencing rampant wine fraud; quality wines were being diluted with bulk wine on a regular basis.
Rioja was a leader in the charge for legislation to guarantee wine origin. In 1902, a Royal Decree defined the origin of its wines by establishing a geographical link between the name of a product and the place where it is produced. Just a little over two decades later, in 1926, the first Consejo Regulador (Regulating Council) was created in Rioja. In the years that followed, Jerez and Málaga also gained regional protection.
In the search for a mapmaker for the Spanish Wine Scholar™ program, I was somehow led to Quentin Sadler.
I didn’t think it possible to find someone with the same love and passion for Spain as I have, but I sure did in Quentin! It was obvious that our collaboration on this program was meant to be. His work is incredible and we both are committed to making this program the gold standard in Spanish wine education.
Quentin has more than 30 years in the wine trade and holds the Diploma from WSET. He is a passionate London-based wine educator, communicator, blogger, and mapmaker.