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| THE BEAUTY OF WINE GROWING IN SPAIN! |
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100% TEMPRANILLO GRAPES A SINGLE VINEYARD PRODUCES A SUPERIOR WINE... |
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| FOR UNDER $20- A HIGHLY RATED WINE-91pts BY WINE CRITIC ROBERT PARKER |
"BIENVENIDO A ESPANA"… SPAIN welcomes you to enjoy their wonderful and interesting wines…I must say having been all over this beautiful country I had my fair share of Spanish vino..and never had a bad one! From the young table wines to the Gran Riserva's you really can't go wrong! Typically, when I go to mediterranean countries I don't ship a case of wine with me on the plane except that time I took a six pack of Caymus to Rome….Ha..ha..true story, then I filled it up with Italian wine for the trip home!! I always say that these countries have been making vino for thousands of years they better have it down right and they do…Whether you are in the south of the country Seville or as far north as Barcelona, you will experience different wines, cuisine & culture…each unique to it's region and fantastic!
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| THE FAMOUS "FLAMENCO DANCERS" OF SEVILLE |
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| CHOICES, CHOICES…THE OUTRAGEOUS ART & BEAUTY OF SPAIN |
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| SALVADOR DALI'S MUSEUM IN FIGUERAS, NORTH OF BARCELONA |
Just want to mention for you art lovers, Spain is home to some of the most amazing museums and art collections in the world….Piacsso, Miro, Gaudi, Dali are all from northern Spain and actually were all friends…Barcelona is home to their work and is a feast for the eyes…especially if you are holding a glass of ALBARINO!! This photo below is the exterior of the DALI Museum and was his original residence at one time! Interestingly enough the further south you go like MADRID, you'll find the old world museum such as, THE PRADO and the more contemporary, REINA SOFIA, both an art lover's dream….perhaps a glass of tempranillo while you're viewing that Goya??
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| THE WINE CONTESSA, 2004 with MY DAUGHTER MARINA… |
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| A HUGE REPRESENTATION OF GOYA'S ARTWORK HANGS IN THE PRADO |
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| ALCAZAR PALACE IN SEVILLE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF" MOORISH" ARCHITECTURE |
Spain is a very diverse country so it helps to get a lay of the land. This map of the wine regions of Spain helps to put into context the various kinds of wines that grow throughout the country.
Map of Spain Wine Regions
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Spain - wine regions and their wine - Spanish DOCa and DO regions
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Spanish Wines and Regions
Spanish wine and Spaniards, not surprisingly have a lot in common. Both tend to be spunky, friendly towards food, epitomize quality and honor tradition. If you had to summarize Spanish wines in a single word, it would have to be, hands down, value, you simply get much more for your money with Spanish wines as a whole than you do from any other New World or Old World wine producing country.
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| OUR FIRST NIGHT IN MADRID WITH SOME OF THE LOCALS….OLE' 2004 |
Not only, are Spanish wines able to boast on the value front, but also on the quality, tradition and technology fronts. Spain captures third place, worldwide, for its wine producing capacity. The U.S. imports of Spanish wines have seen a 75% increase in the last five years, and will likely keep gaining steam over the next five years.
The Rioja region is certainly the “sweetheart” region of Spanish red wines. There are actually three sub-
regions or unique districts that compose the Rioja: the two cooler climates of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa and the balmier region of Rioja Baja!
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| SEVILLE HOME OF THE FAMOUS BULLFIGHTS… |
Strategically placed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the Rioja region produces the majority of its acclaimed red wines from the Tempranillo grape in addition to growing and utilizing Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano – which are often used for blending with Tempranillo. Viura is the dominant white grape grown in the Rioja region, but keep in mind white wine only accounts for about 10% of Rioja’s total wine production. With both the Cantabria and Demanda mountain ranges adding physical protection and the river Ebro winding through the region providing both moisture and creating various microclimates within the area, this region is truly set up for winemaking success
Spanish White Wines
On the Northern coast of Spain near San Sebastian is Basque country. This is where you will find Txakoli (pronounced CHALK-oh-lee), a citrusy wine with low alcohol and some spritz made from the Hondarribi Zuri grape. Ameztoi and Txomin Etxaniz are two producers that are easy to find, but many more have been imported into the US recently and you should be able to find this perfect sunny afternoon sipper wherever you live. The area makes a tiny bit of red wine from the Hondarribi Beltza grape, which also allows them to make rosé. Txakoli rosé is truly one of the great joys in life. It is fun and fresh and tastes like salted watermelon.
On the western coast, north of Portugal, lies Rías Baixas. The star of this area is Albariño, with Loureira and Treixadura being the backup dancers. True to its coastal nature, you can find a briny, ocean touch to this wine, which also has hints of white flowers and stone fruit. Take a hint from the locals and enjoy a glass with seafood. A big bowl of steamed mussels, perhaps?
Rich and Textured
The tiny region of Valdeorras, just a few hours inland from Rías Baixas, makes several styles of wine. Start with the white wines, based on the Godello grape. Godello combines lemon and cantaloupe flavors with a crisp minerality. These wines have enough body to carry you through a meal from a braised octopus appetizer to roasted halibut.
Southeast of Valdeorras is Rueda, which sits on the Duero River in the Castilla y León region. A small amount of red wine is made, but the true gems are white wines made from Verdejo. If the wine is mostly Verdejo, it will say 'Rueda Verdejo' on the bottle. Otherwise, it likely has a significant portion of Viura and Sauvignon Blanc blended with it. The wines are wonderfully aromatic, reminiscent of meyer lemon and almond.
While also planted around Galicia and in Catalonia for use in Cava (under the name Macabéo), Viura is famously known as the white grape of Rioja. It can be bottled on its own or blended with other grapes, such as Garnacha Blanca or even Chardonnay. Lopez de Heredia, one of the greatest wineries in Spain, makes an aged Viura called 'Viña Gravonia' that really is in a class by itself. They cellar it in American oak barrels for years and then it doesn't hit shelves until nearly a decade after the grapes were picked. It is tannic, full-bodied and has an amazingly complex aroma of bruised apple, curry, and coconut. Not all white Rioja is made this way, though. Many that you will find, especially if they are young, will be fresh but still full-bodied, with waxy apple and pear flavors.
Spanish Red Wines
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| THIS IS ONE AREA WHERE THE AGING PROCESS WORKS FOR YOU!! |
If you've started exploring Spanish wine, you've likely had a bottle or two of Tempranillo. Tempranillo is the most planted red grape in Spain, and it appears under a few names, including Tinto Fino, Tinto de Toro, Cencibel, Ull de Llebre, and Tinto del Pais. The two most famous regions for Tempranillo are Rioja and Ribera del Duero.
Rioja
Rioja is in north-central Spain on the Ebro River. Wines of Rioja are a great blend of ripe fruit and earthy flavors—they have one foot in the New World and one foot in the Old World. In Rioja, Tempranillo grapes can be blended with Mazuelo, Graciano, Garnacha, and Maturana Tinta. The law also leaves a little room for winemakers to add non-traditional grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon in small proportions. Classic examples will combine ripe plum and dried prune flavors with hints of leather and sweet-and-sour sauce.
Rioja went above and beyond Spanish laws and added some time to their minimum aging requirements. And often, winemakers allow the wines to age for years beyond what is required by Rioja. For red wines, Crianzas are aged at least 2 years total (including 1 year in oak barrels.) Reserva wines are aged at least 3 years total, including 1 year in barrels. Gran Reservas spend at least 2 years in barrels and then three more years in bottles before they're sold.
You might hear people calling wines from Rioja either 'traditional' or 'modern' in style. What does this mean? 'Traditional' wines of Rioja are aged in American oak barrels, which impart hints of coconut and dill to the wine. 'Modern' winemakers tend to use French oak barrels, which add a little vanilla and baking spice flavor. While some winemakers are squarely in one camp or another, many use methods that aretypes of oak.
Want to try some great Rioja? Producers to seek out include Muga, Lopez de Heredia, and CVNE.
Ribera del Duero
Ribera del Duero is the other Spanish wine region known for top-quality Tempranillo, and here, the wines are usually entirely Tempranillo, rather than a blend. Like Rioja, most wine labels from Ribera del Duero will let you know how long the wine has been aged by using the terms Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva on the labels. The winemaker's use of oak has a major influence on the finished wine here, too. While you'll see mostly American oak in traditional Rioja bottlings, winemakers in Ribera del Duero often opt for more French oak, so you're more likely to taste vanilla, cinnamon, and clove. Overall, Ribera del Duero is more opulent and polished than the rustic, earthy Rioja. I think of Ribera del Duero as my shiny black pumps and Rioja is best-fitting pair of soft leather loafers.
Tempranillo isn't just limited to Rioja and Ribera del Duero, though. It's grown across the country, and regions such as La Mancha and Valdepeñas offer affordable versions that are lightly oaked and ready to drink right away.
Priorat
Wines from Priorat are intense and muscular. If you love sun-kissed, full bodied California wines but are looking for an earthier touch, this is a great region to explore. Many of the vineyards in Priorat are so steep they necessitate building terraces—it's like making the hill into a large staircase with rows of vines on each step. Priorat's unique slate soil—called llicorella—looks like broken chalkboard strewn around the hillside. This rough terrain requires vines to dig deep in the earth in search of water and nutrients.
Most of Priorat's red wines are made from a blend of Garnacha and Cariñena with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and others. Alvaro Palacios was a pioneer in this region and while prices of Priorat in general have skyrocketed over the years, his "Camins del Priorat" bottling is still one of the best values around.
If you're curious about wines like this, but can't swing the price tag, try seeking out wines from Montsant, a region that is like a horseshoe around Priorat. The wines are full-bodied with intense red and black fruit, dried tobacco, and earth.
More Red Wine Values in Spain
If you want to try Spanish wine on a budget, it's worth getting friendly with a few more grapes beyond Tempranillo.
I've already mentioned Garnacha a few times—it appears as part of the blend in Priorat and in Rioja. Known as Grenache in France, this is the third most planted grape in Spain. Garnacha thrives in warm climates, especially in the north-central part of Spain. It is often used to make rosé, but can also make wonderfully ripe, cherry-fruited weeknight wines, such as Borsao's 'Tres Picos' from Campo de Borja.
Monastrell, the Spanish name for Southern France's Mourvèdre, can be found across southern Spain. It needs a lot of sunshine to ripen; it definitely finds that warmth on the sunny Mediterranean coast near Valencia. Often the wines will be full-bodied with aromas of ripe, juicy red fruit, pepper, and meat.
The grape Mencía makes medium- to full-bodied wines with hints of blackberry, anise, and a distinct herbal aroma that often reminds me of Cabernet Franc. While the grape is grown throughout Galicia and northwestern Spain, Bierzo is a good region to seek out.
Sherry
Most sherry is a fortified wine that goes through a solera, a system of blending where wines from different years are mixed into each other over time. In some sherry barrels, a layer of yeast called flor will form over the top of the wine, protecting it from oxygen while imparting a distinct flavor. The freshest styles are Fino and Manzanilla (that second one is a Fino sherry made in the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.) If these styles are exposed to oxygen later on in their aging, combining the taste of flor with nutty, oxidative characteristics, they become the Amontillado and Palo Cortado styles. Oloroso sherry is made without flor to protect the wine from oxygen. This gives the wine rich walnut and toffee flavor…
Mediterranean Coast
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The coast is a very diverse macro-region that contains the sub-regions of Valencia, Catalonia and Murcia. Catalonia is known for Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and a highly acclaimed red wine sub-zone, Priorat. Valencia and Murcia are warmer growing regions that produce a bulk of value wines from deep red Monastrell to aromatic white Malvasia and the widely planted Airén
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Ebro River Valley
The sub regions of La Rioja and Navarra are found in the Ebro River Valley. Here, Tempranillo is king and long-standing bodegas such as Lopez de Heredia and Marques de Murrieta make age-worthy wines. Navarra produces a large volume of rosado (rosé) wine of Garnacha. The region also produces oak-aged white wines of Verdejo and Viura(Macabeo). In Basque country, zesty white wines called Txakoli (‘CHALK’olli ) are common.
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| Duero River Valley |
The Duero River is the same river as the Douro in Portugal. This region is notable for the rich white Verdejo of Rueda and the red wines of Toro, Ribera del Duero and Leon. The wine grape of Toro, called Tinta de Toro, has long been considered a mutant of Tempranillo. Ribera del Duero is home to one of the most famous wineries in Spain: Vega Sicilia
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The central plateau or Meseta Central is the inner plateau of Spain which is home to the capital city, Madrid. The area has an average elevation of 2,300-2,600 feet and is dry and sunny. Because of its climate characteristics, vines are spaced very far apart and close to the ground. Some of the best value red wines made of Monastrell, Syrah, Tempranillo and Garnacha come from this area..
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| THE CRAZY MIND OF SALVADOR DALI, I WONDER WHAT HE WAS DRINKING!! |
I hope that you have learned a few things about Spanish wines and that this blog has been informative….I now take my leave to go open that amazing Volver tempranillo and get my weekend
started! A TU SALUD…..
THE WINE CONTESSA..
