The objective of the present study is to analyze the overall trajectory of Spanish table wine exports during the period 1871-1935 and provide convincing explanations of the pattern. Thus, we employ an approach that takes all of the possible explanatory factors into account, instead of adopting a narrower approach which focuses on a single principal factor. The methodology employed consists of using a gravity model to explain trade flows in Spanish table wine. Our results highlight the key role of trade policies in the determination of export possibilities and the difficulties derived from the export of products which are characterized by the low or non-existent change in demand when income changes. These results may shed a little more light on the determinants of trade in the first phase of globalization.