Cariñena, Aragon

Infobox City
official_name = Cariñena
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = Community
subdivision_type2 = Province
subdivision_name = Spain
subdivision_name1 = Aragon
subdivision_name2 = Zaragoza
latd=41|latm=20|latNS=N
longd=1|longm=13|longEW=W
area_total_km2 = 82.5
elevation_m = 591
population_total = 3500
population_as_of = 2004
population_density_km2 = 42.44
leader_title=Mayor
leader_name= Sergio Ortiz Gutiérrez (PSOE)

Cariñena is a village in the province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is the capital of the comarca Campo de Cariñena. It is known for its wine and the cariñena grape, to which it gave its name.

The name Cariñena dates back to the Roman era. Pliny the Elder, the procurator of Tarraconensis, named this Roman settlement "Carae"; the suffix "-iniana" (thus "Cariniana") was characteristic of many Roman manors.

The village "Cariniana" signified the hamlet and manor situated in the location of "Carae" and refers to its owner, Carinius. At the end of the second century, a tendency to concentrate the property led to the appearance of the large latifundia whose owners gave their name to places like this. Afterwards, in the Middle Ages, the name followed sound rules to become its current name.

Today, Cariñena is still producing wine, being the main economical activity in the area. Cariñena's wines were well know for its oxidation and high alcohol content, but in the last ten years the winerys of the area has been improving the techniques and the yields, and today is a promising Denomination of Origin in Spain. Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cariñena (red grapes) and Macabeo/Viura are the main varietals, but most of wineries are including grapes such a merlot, syrah, chardonnay and other.

External links

* [http://www.caiaragon.com/es/municipios/index.asp?idloc=696&tipo=0 caiaragon.com - Ficha de la población] es