Spanish wine the southern Mediterranean coast are suitable for producing grapes of high alcohol levels and low acidity. Spanish wine laws created the "Denominación de Origen" (DO) system in 1932 and were later revised in 1970. The system shares many similarities with the hierarchical "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) system of France, Portugal's "Denominação de Origem Controlada" (DOC) and Italy's "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC) system. As of 2009, there were 79 Quality Wine areas across Spain. In addition there is "Denominación de Origen Calificada" (DOCa or DOQ in Catalan) status for DOs that have a consistent track record for quality. There are
Laws of the Indies Laws of the Indies The Laws of the Indies () are the entire body of laws issued by the Spanish Crown for the American and Philippine possessions of its empire. They regulated social, political, religious, and economic life in these areas. The laws are composed of myriad decrees issued over the centuries and the important laws of the 16th century, which attempted to regulate the interactions between the settlers and natives, such as the Laws of Burgos (1512) and the New Laws (1542). Throughout the 400 years of Spanish presence in these parts of the world, the laws were compiled