Spain joined the EU in 1986. Large investments followed, also in the wine industry. New vineyards were planted, new wines were created, and producers began to charge higher prices for their wines. New and sometimes spectacularly designed wine cellars were built. In 2006 Spain exported twice as much wine as they did in 1995. The creative Spanish gastronomy was in vogue. The producers wanted to show a modern style of wine. Classic Rioja went out of fashion. Then came the economic crisis of 2008 which hit Spain particularly hard.
Wine consumption began to decline, producers were forced to reduce their prices drastically. Now the worst is over. But Spain has some catching up to do. The country has fallen behind Italy and France in reputation. A lot of Spanish wine is sold at extremely low prices. There is so much to discover in Spain. Time for Spanish wines to shine! And by the way, Rioja is back in fashion.
Read more about what has happened in Spain in recent years: meininger.de
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