With more vineyard plantings than any country in the world, Spain is certainly a wonderful option for new wine discoveries, and as spring arrives why not explore the coasts for some fun and interesting wines to welcome spring.

Wine has been produced in Spain for nearly 3,000 years, and along the way has experienced ups-and-downs and undergone many changes. The Romans and the Moors both had significant impact on the industry, from promotion to prohibition in nature. During the Middle Ages winemaking benefited from a comeback throughout Europe, and by the 16th Century many regions had earned international fame. Sherry and strong sweet wines were at the base of the first commercial wines exported in enormous quantities to England and Holland.

During much of the 20th Century, however, a notable decline in quality due to the lack of investment plagued Spain and by the 1970's Spanish wine was identified as a source of cheap and mediocre wines; it was time to retool the process and invest some money in modernizing the industry. Since then, things have changed dramatically and the Spanish wine industry is currently one of the fastest growing in the international scene, bringing wines with great fruit levels and tremendous structure into the market.

Getting back to the coasts...

On the Western side of Spain is the area of Galicia, the mysterious Finisterre (end of the earth) where the Roman legions surrendered in terror, where a large part of the best Spanish white wines are produced: the Albariños from the wine-growing region called Rías Baixas (Ree-us Basch-us).

Wonderful white wines are aromatically very delicate, fresh and full of flavor on the palate. They are the perfect companion for lobsters, crabs, oysters, clams, and just about anything from the sea. The Atlantic climate is one of the pillars of the quality of the Albariño wines, but another major support is the properties of the variety itself, which is distantly related to the Central European Riesling.

The Albariños of the Rías Baixas region aren't the only quality wines to be found in Galicia. The Godello variety produces some unusually fine, delicate whites in the Valdeorras (Val-day-or-us) area, while some interesting whites produced from the native Treixadura grape are beginning to emerge from the Ribeiro (Rib-a-errow) area along with the fragrant and medium bodied reds from the Mencia grape.

On the Mediterranean coast is the region of Catalonia and the nine sub-regions of wine production. Catalonia, a community set apart by its language and culture and with its own pronounced personality, has always been a gateway to the rest of Spain. It serves the same purpose in the world of wines. Catalonia's nine regions -- Penedés, Alella, Costers del Segre, Ampurdán-Costa Brava, Tarragona, Terra Alta, Priorato, Monstat and Conca de Barberá -- as well as the omnipresent Cava, a sparkling wine made with champagne methods, make it a winemaking region difficult to surpass. Whether it is the fresh and vibrant Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc from the Allela region, the blend of native grape varieties such as Macabeo, Xarel-Lo, Parellada, and Tempranillo, or the more widely known international grape varieties such as Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon of the Penedés, or the Garnacha (Grenache) and Cariñena (Carignan) of the newest sub region, the Monstat, there are so many wines to discover. And the best thing about all of this... there are so many different flavors and styles of wines sure to please almost any palate preference.

A visit to your neighborhood Vino 100 will reward you with an introduction to a range of the exciting wines from Spain's east and west coasts, many at great price ranges. And we didn't even talk about the food!

Don't forget to check back soon when we move inland to look at some of the other great wines from Spain.