High-altitude cherries, peaches, apples, pears, and garnacha grapes, which are used to make wines with the D.O. Calatayud designation, the youngest of the four wine denominations in Aragón. But being the youngest doesn’t mean it lacks a great tradition. In fact, Calatayud is one of the regions with the most long standing winemaking tradition in Spain. The earliest records of its wines date back to the 1st century, and they already mention their excellent quality.
You may be surprised to know that despite the Qur’anic prohibition, and as in other traditionally wine-producing regions of the Iberian Peninsula, vines and wine were also produced in Andalusian Calatayud. The main economic activity throughout the Upper March of Al-Ándalus was agriculture, which increased and diversified significantly with the renewal and implementation of new irrigation systems.
The 12th-century geographer, cartographer, and traveler al-Idrisi described Calatayud as follows: “It has a splendid region where trees, fruit trees, springs, and streams abound, providing great fertility.”
