![\"wine](\"https:\/\/thesoundofthecosta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wijntradities-vendimia-770x770.jpg\")
Monasteries and kings<\/h4>\nWhen I drank my first glass of wine on a village square in Jal\u00f3n a few years ago, the waiter told me, \u201cThese grapes could have been planted by the Romans.\u201d 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 \u2014 it\u2019s liquid history. Welcome to the world of Spanish wine traditions: the Vendimia. <\/p>\n
The Romans brought more than roads and aqueducts to Hispania \u2014 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. <\/p>\n
Monasteries and kings<\/h4>\nIn the Middle Ages, it was the monks who tended the vineyards. Their quiet labour ensured that wine didn\u2019t 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 \u2014 and you can still feel that today. <\/p>\n
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\u2019s not about showing off \u2014 it\u2019s about sharing. <\/p>\n
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 \u2014 this year, some places remain quiet. But walk past the vineyards and you\u2019ll see the tradition is very much alive: families still head into the fields together and celebrate the harvest in their own way. <\/p>\n
A year ago, I found myself once again at a vendimia celebration \u2014 in Jal\u00f3n, the very same village where I\u2019d once drunk my first glass of Spanish wine. It felt like coming full circle. I\u2019d 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\u2019 stories, and felt how tradition and future blend seamlessly together. <\/p>\n
Those who understand Spain\u2019s wine traditions taste more than grapes \u2014 and the Vendimia \u2014 they taste centuries of Spanish culture. During the When I drank my first glass of wine on a village square in Jal\u00f3n a few years ago, the waiter told me, \u201cThese grapes could have been planted by the Romans.\u201d I smiled, but when I later did some reading, there turned out to be some truth in it. In ...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[846,2469],"tags":[1632,850,2407,385,849,2338,2283],"class_list":["post-13803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-viva-cultura-en","category-wine-special","tag-costa-blanca-history","tag-culture","tag-history","tag-spain","tag-traditions","tag-vendimia-en","tag-wine"],"yoast_head":"\n