What do Crianza, Reserva & Gran Reserva mean when talking about Spanish wine?

Spanish wine, especially the more expensive types, often say 'crianza', 'reserva' or 'gran reserva' on the front of the bottle.

The terms are often placed where one might expect the type of grape to be, which has led to a lot of people assuming these terms are a type of grape. (Check out the photo, where they've placed 'crianza' on one bottle in the same place 'tempranillo' is on another bottle, implying they both denote the grape variety).


 

In fact, these terms denote how the wine has been aged,specifically the amount of time the wine has been aged in oak barrels, and are generally speaking an indication of quality, not style of wine.

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The terms 'crianza', 'reserva' and 'gran reserva', when talking about Spanish wines, refer to the length of time the wine has been aged. 

You can try these different types of Spanish wine on one of these Spain Wine Tours.

Below is the exact definition of crianza, reserva and gran reserva.

Crianza

A wine labeled crianza has spent one year in oak barrels.

Reserva

A wine which says reserva on the bottle has been aged for two years; one of these years has to have been spent in oak.

Gran Reserva

These wines are aged for two years in oak and three years in the bottle.

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In addition, you may see or hear the following wine-related terms in Spain:

Joven

A wine that hasn't been aged will be referred to as 'joven' (young) but you won't see it on the bottle.

A young red wine from La Rioja is called a 'cosechero'.

Criado en Barrica

Some cheaper wines may have 'criado en barrica' (aged in barrels) on the label. If it doesn't also have 'crianza', 'reserva' or 'gran reserva' written on the label, it means that the wine hasn't reached the criteria for these. It probably means the wine is between a 'joven' and a 'crianza'.

Denominacion de Origen

Many wine regions in Spain are registered as a denominacion de origen, which means they are protected by European laws. Different from vino de la tierra (below).

Vino de Mesa

Spanish for 'table wine', this is not the American sense of 'not sparkling or fortified'. Instead, it is the lowest quality of wine, with no geographical origin allowed on the bottle, perhaps because the wine is from a mixture of regions, or because it has been exempt from being called a denominacion de origen wine for some other reason.

Vino de la Tierra

Some wine regions haven't applied or can't apply for denominacion de origen status but want to protect the quality of the wine from their region in a different way. These wines may be known as vino de la tierra. The authority that protects these wines can be more strict than a denominacion de origen: vino de la tierra wine authorities are controlled by an external body, whereas denominacion de origen tend to be self-governed.

Types of Grapes Used in Spanish Wine

See also: Spanish Wine FAQ

Thanks to Mary O´Connor of Planeta Vino Wine Tasting School, Madrid for her help with this page.