Wine in Spain: History, Culture, and Its Economics

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this Course is to enable students to become knowledgeable about Wine, one of Spain’s most
culturally important and economically relevant elements, by means of the study of its history, the range
of types it has and their modes of production, the key wine-producing regions, its impact on the Spanish
economy in regional and national terms, and the recent evolution in tourist-based activities that have
developed around it.
METHODOLOGY
The syllabus will be carried through in two-hour theoretical class sessions with audiovisual input as backup.
A wine-tasting event will be scheduled so that students may become acquainted with Spain’s
principal wines.
SYLLABUS
1.- WINE, A DRINK OF THE GODS.
Wine in Ancient Cultures. Wine and the Religion of Classical Antiquity: Dionysus and Orgiastic Ritual.
2.- WINE IN SPAIN. ITS HISTORY.
Wine in the Ancient and Medieval Periods. Wine in Modern and Contemporary Times.
3.- VARIETIES OF WINE AND METHODS OF WINE PRODUCTION.
Varieties of Grape. Methods of Wine Production. Classes of Wine.
4.- WINE-PRODUCING REGIONS AND GUARANTEES OF ORIGIN.
Soil and Climate Types. Guarantee of Origin, Rioja. Guarantee of Origin, Ribera del Duero. Full-bodied
Wines. Sparkling Wines.
5.- BODEGA WINERIES, THE BUSINESS SET-UP AND DISTRIBUTION NETWORKING.
Wine-Producing Companies. Sector Business Organization. Marketing and Markets for Wine.
6.- NEW HORIZONS FOR WINE
Acquiring a Wine-Culture Competence. Wine-Associated Tourism. Wine and Health.