Wines of SPAIN
Spain is the most widely planted wine-producing nation, but it is only the third largest producer of wine in the world, behind Italy and France. Another aspect that sets Spain apart from other countries is their belief that wine should be released only when it is ready to be consumed. In fact, by law, most Spanish wines must mature in oak casks, then aged in the bottle before being passed on to the consumer. Although minimum ageing periods vary from one region to another, and are often exceeded by producers, generally, the minimum periods of aging are termed: Crianza (2 years: 1 in barrel, 1 in bottle), Reserva (3 years: at least 1 in barrel) and Gran Reserva (must come from an excellent vintage year and age 5 years: with at least 2 in barrel). Note: wines labeled “Rioja Joven” are more youthful and fruity as they aren’t aged in oak. Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) are the main red grapes. Tempranillo flavors vary from prune, plum, cherry, cedar, cherrywood and meat or leather. (There are many local names for the Tempranillo grape: see references in regional descriptions below.) Riojas are smoky, earthy, subtle reds with the Tempranillo grape, while the Priorat is known for its rich, dense, powerful reds from the Garnacha variety. The Ribera del Duero also uses Tempranillo, yielding wines bigger and more powerful than those of Rioja. There’s also great whites: including crisp, aromatic Albariño; zesty, minerally, creamy Godello; and creamy lemon and spritzy Txacoli of the Basque country.
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Penedas/ Prioriat |
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| The majority of Spanish sparkling wines, called Cava, are made by the traditional method (same as the Champagne method) in Cataluna, from local grapes: Macabeo (Viura), Parellada and Xarel-lo and sometimes Chardonnay and Malvasía Riojana. These sparklers can range from citrusy and zesty to earthy and minerally. Parellada contributes a lemony freshness to the blend. It also makes still wines; light, fresh and gently floral with good acidity and low in alcohol. Xarello produces very aromatic wines and gains an attractive lime cordial aroma and flavor. Red wines are made with Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Samsó and Monastrell, some in blends, but many as single varietals. Priorat is the birthplace of intense, minerally reds that many wine consider to be Spain’s most elite wines. The region’s harsh conditions is demanding and produces the most interesting characteristics of indigenous grapes like Garnacha, Cariñena as well as international varieties including Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Blended together they can produce a dark ruby wine with a nose of crushed blackberries, white flowers, smoke, and licorice. Expressive, fresh and less oaky than many traditional Spanish reds, Priorat wines have earned a devoted following in Spain and beyond. | ||||||||||
| Key Red Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | Key White Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | |||||||
| Cabernet Sauvignon Cariñena Garnacha Merlot Syrah Tempranillo (Ull de Llebre) |
Prioriat Monastrell Garnacha Merlot Syrah Ull de Llebre |
Chardonnay Macabeo (Viura) Parellada Xarel-lo |
Cava | |||||||
Northwest Spain |
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Galicia/ Rias Biaxas. Valdeorras |
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| Galicia, the northwest coastal region produces the most aromatic Spanish white wines. With over 2,200 hours of direct sunlight every year, it’s perfect for the production of the region’s famed white and light red wines. Rías Baixas is home to the modern-style, fuller bodied, fragrant white Albariño varietal (similar to the Alvarinho in Portugal’s Vinho Verde); producing crisp, fruity, salty-mineral aromatic and silky smooth wines. High acidity, a floral nose and an apricoty, delicate flavor that is not unlike Condrieu. Another very aromatic grape (and almost certainly the same as Portugal’s Verdelho), Godello in the Valdeorras is the elegant white grape with a minerality and delicate creaminess that many admire. It shares the softly aromatic apricot character of Albariño but has a silkier texture, rather like good Viognier. It can be made as a varietal, but also blends well with other grapes, including Albariño, Treixadura and Dona Blanca. These deliciously refreshing whites typically offer aromas of peach, apricot, and melon, backed by a steely minerality and a lean, crisp finish. Ribeiro is an up and coming region, also becoming known for its modern crisp, aromatic wines and its deeply colored, though light bodied reds. Red wine grapes allowed in the region for red wine production include Mencía and Brancellao. | |||||||||||
| Key Red Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | Key White Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | ||||||||
| Mencia Brancellao |
Mencia
Brancellao |
Albariño Godello |
Albariño
Godello |
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Ribera del Duero/ Toro |
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| North of Madrid, the Ribera del Duero produces aromatic Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) wines that are structured with good body and powerful fruit flavors paired with woody notes. A more robust expression than typically found in Rioja; with deeper concentration, more tannin, and darker fruits (blackberry and plum). Small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Garnacha and Merlot are also grown; though used almost exclusively for blending. For exciting unknown wines, look to neighboring Toro, where the reds are meaty, made from Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo), and are often just as plush, powerful and elegant as the best Ribera del Duero. The Bierzo region, with the rediscovery of the old Mencía vines, has gone, in just a few years, from being an unknown to a prominent producing region. Mencia, a black grape, thought to be related to Cabernet Franc, is saturated purple in color, offering a fragrant bouquet of smoke, violets, mineral, wild blueberry and black raspberry. A few white wines are made in this region; mainly from Malvasía and Verdejo. Though the styles can vary, expect delicate, floral wines with pronounced mineral notes and freshness of fruit. Rueda is known for its Verdejo-based whites, often blended with Viura and Sauvignon Blanc; ranging from light, floral, and crisp to rich and powerfully aromatic. | |||||||||||
| Key Red Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | Key White Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | ||||||||
| Tempranillo (Tinto Fino, Tinta Del Pais, Tinta de Toro) Cabernet Sauvignon Garnacha Mencia |
Ribera del Duero Tinto Fino, Tinta Del Pais, Tinta de Toro Bierzo |
Viura (Macabeo)
Malvasia |
Rueda
Verdejo Malvasia |
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Central/ South Spain |
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Castilla-La Mancha/ Jumilla |
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| La Mancha isn’t just Spain’s largest wine region, it’s the largest in the world and covers about half of the Castile-La Mancha region. The area’s wines have gone almost unnoticed until new production methods gave rise to a more palatable drink. The main grape varieties used are Tempranillo and Áiren. The latter produces white wines and is not a particularly popular variety amongst wine makers. Tempranillo on the other hand is well known for the quality of the wine that can be achieved; and when blended with other varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot the outcome can be some very acceptable wines. La Mancha is a vast, flat land that accounts for one-third of Spain’s vineyard, once known only for its bulk production of Airén, now produces approachable wines that rely on Cencibel (Tempranillo) and Garnacha Tinta, among others, for its reds. Valdepeñas, another red wine region, though much less important than Rioja or the Ribera del Duero is producing some excellent crisp dry whites and oaky reds similar in flavor to some of the good Rioja’s. Spain also produced Monastrell (Mourvedre) in many areas, including Valencia. This wine can be pleasing, with medium-weight, spicy cherry and berry flavors and moderate tannins and ages well. While whites are produced here and can be pleasing to the palate with some producers, the main focus lately are the reds. | |||||||||||
| Key Red Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | Key White Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | ||||||||
| Tempranillo (Cencibel) Monastrell Garnacha Tinta |
By grape
By producer/ winery |
Airén
Macabeo Malvasia |
By grape
By producer/ winery |
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Jerez/ Monilla Moriles |
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| This is the home of Sherry, produced from a small region around the town of Jerez. Sherry is made principally from the Palomino and Pedro Ximénez (PX) grapes, with a splash of Moscatel. Palomino produce wines of matchless complexity and pungency. PX was used for sweetening purposes and sometimes for bottling on its own as a sweet, dark, dessert sherry. It is now one of the most immediately seductive of dessert wines. It has low acidity and a thick, silky, syrupy texture. In Sherry, the grapes are harvested and fermented in the normal way, but the wines are then left in contact with air for a prolonged period of time. Some will simply oxidize, whereas some develop a coating of a thick layer of yeast, on the surface. This yeast imparts a distinctive flavor. The wines then pass through a (solera) system, a tier of barrels containing wine of differing ages, oldest at the bottom and youngest at the top. The wine in the lowest barrel is drawn off and bottled, and each barrel is topped up with wine from the one above. This maintains a steady stream of wine of similar character year after year, and explains why sherry is almost never vintage dated. A variety of styles are produced: dry sherries Fino and Manzanilla (the latter has a salty, nuttier taste); the medium-dry Amontillado (which has a golden amber color with a dry, nutty taste); the medium though darker, richer style Oloroso; and dessert sherries Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez (a rich, dark Spanish beauty). | |||||||||||
| Key Red Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | Key White Grape Varieties | Most commonly labeled as… | ||||||||
| Moscatel Palomino Pedro Ximenez |
Pedro Ximénez
PX Sherry Fino Manzanilla Amontillado Oloroso Moscatel |
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