Spain is very large and very diverse winemaking area. It has the most hectares under vine (1.2 million) in Europe, yet it falls in third place in total wine production, behind France and Italy. A lot of the grapes grown are used to produce Sherry Vinegar and Spanish brandy. Spain's climate ranges from Maritime areas near the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, to cooler high altitude locations, to arid almost desert like climates. There are also many different soil types, which I will discuss in detail when I talk about each individual region. Unlike France and Italy, Spain has many areas whose potential has not yet been fully tapped, and is sure to grow in importance as time passes.