Summary

Spain has the largest area under vine of any country in the world, with around a third of vines planted prior to 1990, and centuries-old vines still producing fruit in many regions. But the last 30 years have seen many heritage vineyards grubbed up and replanted with higher yielding clones in areas that are easier to mechanize. This is added to the ongoing issue of rural depopulation, with elderly vine growers often retiring leaving no one to take care of their vines. 

Many commercial initiatives have sprung up in recent years, with young winemakers buying up historic plots, and cooperatives starting to pay more for older vine fruit. But in European countries, regulatory bodies play a crucial role in controlling the use of labelling terms such as "Old Vines", and highlighting the value of their vineyards through new categories. 

The Old Vine Conference's Regional Ambassador for Spain, Anna Harris-Noble, will take a look at some of the key developments across some of Spain's leading Designations of Origins, such as Rioja, Priorat, Bierzo, Jumilla and Campo de Borja: and their latest initiatives aimed at ensuring heritage vineyards have a sustainable future.

About the Speaker

Anna has been working in the wine industry in Spain and the UK for almost 20 years, including a period heading up the UK Wines from Rioja account. She has carried out translation and marketing projects for some of Spain’s most important wine companies. A fluent Spanish speaker and WSET-certified educator, she translated Fernando Mora’s Master of Wine research paper about vineyard classification systems in the DO Campo de Borja into English and had her article about the winemaker's work recovering an ancient vineyard published on jancisrobinson.com

She now handles the UK PR for Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos, which owns a 100 year-old Single Vineyard in Rioja Alavesa, and writes for spanishwinelover.com and foodswinesfromspain.com 

Born in the UK, Anna thought her love for Spanish wine stemmed from her time living next to a winery in Navarra as part of her languages degree, but she has discovered ancestral links to vineyards in the Toledo area stretching back over 500 years.

“I’ve taken on the role, as during my time visiting Spain’s dramatically beautiful mountain vineyards, I’ve heard many tales of ancient vines being abandoned or grubbed up as they are no longer considered viable. Home to some of the world’s oldest vineyards – such as Pago Macharnudo in Jerez, which is thought to have been cultivated for over 3,000 years – I want to tell the stories behind Spain’s old vine heritage to ensure that it is valued and preserved for future generations.”