Wine and traditions in Spain: from the Romans to the Vendimia festivals

When I drank my first glass of wine on a village square in Jalón a few years ago, the waiter told me, “These grapes could have been planted by the Romans.” I smiled, but when I later did some reading, there turned out to be some truth in it. In Spain, a glass of wine is never just a drink — it’s liquid history. Welcome to the world of Spanish wine traditions: the Vendimia.

The legacy of the Romans

The Romans brought more than roads and aqueducts to Hispania — they also brought their love of wine. Sometimes, when I see an amphora in a museum, I imagine someone two thousand years ago enjoying the same simple pleasures we do now: a humble meal, a jug of wine and good company. The thought that this tradition has never truly been broken gives every glass a special meaning.

Monasteries and kings

In the Middle Ages, it was the monks who tended the vineyards. Their quiet labour ensured that wine didn’t disappear, but instead became more refined. Later, kings and nobles took over, and wine found its place at richly laid tables. Yet it always remained more than a luxury product. Spanish wine culture is deeply rooted in everyday life — and you can still feel that today.

Wine on the table and in tradition

What I love most is that wine here has never been just for the elite. It belongs to a Sunday family lunch, to tapas on a terrace, and to the fiestas where the whole neighbourhood gathers. The first time I was handed a glass of house wine at a village festival, I felt how natural and welcoming this ritual is. It’s not about showing off — it’s about sharing.

The vendimia: celebration or not

In September and October, the vendimia bursts to life in many Spanish towns and regions. Grapes are picked, tasted, danced to and sung about. Still, not every village holds an official celebration every year — this year, some places remain quiet. But walk past the vineyards and you’ll see the tradition is very much alive: families still head into the fields together and celebrate the harvest in their own way.

A year ago, I found myself once again at a vendimia celebration — in Jalón, the very same village where I’d once drunk my first glass of Spanish wine. It felt like coming full circle. I’d only meant to go for a short walk, but the scent of must and the sound of guitars pulled me irresistibly towards the village square. There, I tasted young wine, listened to locals’ stories, and felt how tradition and future blend seamlessly together.

A foundation for the wine month

Those who understand Spain’s wine traditions taste more than grapes — and the Vendimia — they taste centuries of Spanish culture. During the wine month at The Sound Of The Costa, we want to let that soul speak. The stories of past and present flow into one another, and every glass tells another small part of Spain’s story.