Wines and wine regions of Spain
This is, undoubtedly, the most exciting wine producing country in Europe. For those of us with even modest memories can recall that, a mere two decades ago, all you expected from a Spanish wine was something cheap and, if you were lucky, drinkable. All this has changed for the better. Spain has the largest vineyard area of any country in Europe and is poised to overtake France in the league table of volume produced. Vineyards are less densely planted and much of the vine stock is old with an age 100 years for a plant not being uncommon. These are attributes that would make other countries leap for joy if they possessed them in as much profusion as Spain does. Spanish winemakers are not unaware of the treasures at their fingertips but there is still so much to re-discover, it is as if some ancient treasure chest has been opened and piece by piece the wonders therein are being lifted out, dusted off and given new life. There is much more to come from this exciting country.
View a full list of our Spanish white wine and Spanish red wine.
Jerez
This south-western corner of Andalusia is the home of Sherry which is one of the most overlooked vinous treasures in all the world. Regrettably in the 1960s and 70s big business dragged the good name of Sherry down into mire that is the lowest common denominator and the cheapest price, and it has never really recovered. This is a great shame because real Sherry is a complex, satisfying drink that comes in a variety of styles, from the lean and dry to the unctuously sweet. One of our favourite wines is Manzanilla. This is a sub-region of Sherry and is a fresh, dry style made around the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barameda. This is the perfect aperitif to accompany salted almonds and some fat, juicy olives.
Central Spain
Central Spain is a loose definition we employ to describe the wine regions close to the nation’s capital, Madrid.
Rueda
From land on the Castilian plateau, 700 m high, in the northwest of Castilla Leon, facing the Duero river. Lime and gravel soils, well-drained, produce the famous vines of Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc. All these characteristics combine to give one of the finest white wines of Spain.
Northern Spain
The north of Spain, already home to some of its most famous regions is leading the way in the revitalisation of some of its less well-known regions. Have you heard of Cigales, Calatayud, Somontano, Ampurdan, Conca de Barbera or Cariñena? These are all regions that are now making impressive wines, not only because of their quality but also for their value for money.
Cigales
This region lies to the north of Valladolid and has, in the past, only been famed for oak-aged rosé. Nowadays it is enjoying the spotlight of attention as big wine firms and fashionable winemakers vie to acquire vineyards in an area whose climate of hot days and cool nights is turning out red wines of note.
Calatayud
This is a hot region but most of the vineyards are at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level or more and so recover from the stress of the day by cooling down at night. This region has an absolute winning combination in the form of the Garnacha grape variety (Grenache in France) which gives of its best, as it does in the Rhône valley, where there’s large diurnal temperature variations. Add to this a vine stock of venerable proportions, 100-year-old vines is not uncommon, which only make small concentrated quantities of juicily ripe grapes and the result is great wine.
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Galicia
A rugged Atlantic coastline, many river valleys with terraced vineyards, this is not like any other region of Spain and feels more akin to its northern neighbours rather than Castille. The vineyard regions of 'Green Spain' focus principally on the production of white wines from the Godello and Albariño grapes and make some of the finest and most delicate dry whites in all of Spain.
Navarra
Almost as famous as its neighbour Rioja, the wines of Navarra have enjoyed a long reputation for excellent quality and great value for money. The land divides neatly into two distinct vine-growing areas. In the northern half we have vineyards at a raised altitude in the foothills of the Pyrenees and this is where the finer, longer-lived wines come from. Conversely, down on the hot sandy plain, the wines are less elegant and more abundant. It is this combination of climates that gives Navarra its real strength - diversity.
Ribera del Duero
A decade ago this region sprung into fashionable prominence with its serious and structured Tempranillo-based red wines. Situated 100 kilometres north of Madrid this is a surprisingly cool area with vineyards up to 800 metres above sea level. For much of the year frost is a regular and expected hazard to the vines but the warm summer days contrive to bring on grapes that produce rich, bright flavours that can be deliciously accessible as ‘Joven’ or young wines, or can well stand the oak ageing of a Crianza.
Rioja
The most renowned of all the regions of Spain, Rioja has a winemaking tradition so old that when the Romans arrived all they could do was to help the local inhabitants improve their techniques! Little changed until the 19th century when the influence of Bordeaux brought cask ageing, and grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon to the mix and the style that we are familiar with today was born. Its pre-eminent place amongst other Spanish regions has been challenged by the rise of so many recently re-discovered areas, but Rioja is a large, well-established region where the quality ranges from the sublime to the accessible, it is still king of the heap today.
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Rueda
From land on the Castilian plateau, 700 m high, in the northwest of Castilla Leon, facing the Duero river. Lime and gravel soils, well-drained, produce the famous vines of Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc. All these characteristics combine to give one of the finest white wines of Spain.
Somontano
Lying just to the south and heavily influenced by the central Pyrenees, the region of Somontano has a great deal to offer. These rolling foothills of the Pyrenees provide a fertile soil, a cool climate and some of the most beautiful scenery in all Spain. As befits a new denomination lying so close to the French border, the grape varieties that are permitted are a mix of the classically Spanish Garnacha, Tempranillo, Maccabeu and local Moristel, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer from over the border. The result is a flexibility that delivers a delightful variety of modern wines.
Toro
North-west of Madrid, just beyond Rueda and before the Portuguese border lies the region of Toro. If Rioja has the elegance of Bordeaux then Toro is the Rhône. Red wines made from the Tinto de Toro, the local name for Tempranillo, are of a substantial and rather alcoholic nature. The best are rich and powerful and make a unique contribution to Spain's diverse vinous palette.
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Valdeorras
Valdeorras is situated in north-west Spain and is flanked on all sides by mountain ranges. It has an Atlantic micro-climate with many continental features. It’s renowned for its fresh dry whites, made primarily from Godello.
Southern Spain
Although the revitalisation and modernisation of the vineyards areas here is not as advanced as northern Spain it is inexorably happening. There are really interesting wines to be found from the likes of Utiel Requena and Almansa and from the holiday destinations of Alicante and Malaga.
Alicante
Just a step back from the beaches and endless bars of an overdeveloped tourist coast is a wild unspoilt landscape that rises some 400 metres to create very favourable vineyard sites. The main grape used here is Monastrell as it is locally known, or Mourvèdre as it is called in France. Some grander wines are made but in general this is a good source of full-flavoured and approachable everyday wines.
Malaga
Dessert wines from this region used to be great favourites of 17th century English connoisseurs but its star has faded well below the horizon since those days until just recently. We are primarily interested in this region for the work of one man, Telmo Rodriguez, who is reviving the sweet whites of yesteryear in a modern way. Made from Moscatel grapes this receives the name of ‘Mountain Wine’ because that is how the English called this type of wine in the XVII century. They are dramatic, spectacular vineyards, situated on steep shale slopes, where not even a donkey can go. In order to make this wine they used the traditional method of ‘paseras’, women who pick up the grapes and leave them to dry under the sun. For 10 to 15 days, the ‘paseras’ clean and turn the bunches round, removing the grapes of poor quality. The first musts of the pressing are chosen and they ferment in casks for about 2 months. The ageing is done in small wooden casks. In order to get one half-litre bottle, more than 4 kg of grapes are needed.
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La Mancha
Windmills, Don Quixote and Sanchopanza - this is the instant image that this big region conjures up. La Mancha has always been known, at least since the 1960s, as a good source of inexpensive table wines. So it is too today, though what we all have to be grateful for is that improved viticultural and winemaking techniques means the residual headache of the wines of yesteryear is definitely a thing of the past.
