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The Types of Soil in Spain

Spain, which makes up 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, boasts a variety of soil types, and many of them have helped the country to be among the world's leading producers of oranges, olives and wine. Much of the country's soil is dry and rocky. The U.S. Library of Congress estimates that while 40 percent of the Spanish soil is suitable for crop cultivation, only about 10 percent is of the highest quality. Even so, crafty farmers persevere through crafty irrigation methods. Spain's landscape also boasts some unusual soils that allow for specialty wine production.

Soil by Geography
- Spain has small sections of forest, mostly in the northwest, and these contain largely gray-brown forest soils. Soil in the forests of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain is podzolic soil, an iron-rich soil similar to the predominant soil in Wales and Western England. Soil on Spain's central plateau, particularly on the eastern portion, is chestnut brown and somewhat dry. Alluvial soils, soils containing sediments deposited by water, appear in the country's valleys and coastal plains, including red soils along the Mediterranean coast in the south and northeast.
Sherry's Soil
- The loamy albariza soil appears in the Jerez region on Spain's southwestern coast. This chalky soil contains calcium carbonate, clay and silica. The mineral content came from an inland sea that covered the Jerez region millions of years ago. Albariza soil, deriving its Latin name from its white color, also retains water well, making it ideal to grow grapes ultimately used in Sherry production, for which the region is well known. For a wine to qualify as a Sherry, at least 40 percent of its content must come from this type of soil.
Rocky llicorella
- Llicorella is a red slate found in the Priorat region near Tarragona in northeastern Spain. This loose, mineral-rich soil contains quartz particles and rests under the dark topsoil in the region. It and other metamorphic soils in the region are the result of volcanic activity. In wine production, the soil's dry nature causes vines to grow deep roots, and the soil reflects light and heat onto the grapes to promote healthy, even maturation.
Agricultural Challenges
- Saline and alkali soils appear in select regions of Spain. These include the Ebro basin in the northeast, Andalucia in the south and in more concentrated areas in central and southeastern Spain, about 600,000 acres total in the country. The salt and minerals in this soil restrict crop growth, in some cases restricting it completely in regions where the saline or alkali levels are high. Levels are highest in the regions with little rain, such as Zaragoza and Lerida.

Rocks & Minerals