I’m sure you’ve seen Spanish wine at your local supermarket or restaurant. But without any knowledge it’s challenging to know exactly what you’re getting. This leaves many consumers going back to the same wine, because they know it. Spanish wine offers variety and quality, often times at a much lower price than your Napa Valley Cabernet.
With over 400 different grapes planted and over 4,000 wineries in Spain, chances are good that you can find a Spanish wine that you’ll love. This is a beginner’s guide to help you better understand and buy Spanish wine that you’ll enjoy.
Why is Spanish wine so affordable?
In comparison to many other wine regions, Spanish wine has among the best quality-price ratio around. Here in Spain it’s common to see bottles of wine for several euros in the supermarket. I’ll spare you my thoughts on 2 euro bottles of wine, let’s just say the “quality” might be missing from that ratio.
In America, we sometimes think of affordable wines as lower quality. In comparison to American wines, especially Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley, Spanish wines are very affordable. For that reason, it’s sometimes shocking for some to see a bottle of Spanish red wine for under $15 when a glass of California Cabernet commonly costs the same price at a restaurant.
The climate in Spain also plays a big part, which makes growing grapes possible in so much of the country. While Spain is the third largest producer of wine, they have the most grapes planted overall. The space and climate is a match make in heaven, making Spain a very “grape friendly” country. In addition, many producers in Spain have embraced the use technology in wine making, including sorting equipment, drones, and sensors making the cost of labor considerably lower than in other countries.
All about blends
As with other Old World wine regions like France and Italy, many Spanish wines are blends of several grapes. Being accustomed to single varietal wines, this leaves some consumers in America and other New World Regions often confused. Another complication is that some regions only write the DO on the label while others do include the grape. An easy way to know is by asking restaurant or wine shop staff, doing a quick google search, or use a wine app like Vivino. I think Vivino is helpful because you can quickly learn details about the wine and read critic and consumer generated reviews. Vivino is available for both iPhone and Android users.
Spanish wines to know
Although Spain is such a large producer of wine, wine consumption within Spain is dropping. This means more higher priced and higher quality wines are being exported. Outside of Spain, here are the more popular regions you are likely to find at your local wine shop or restaurant.
To help my New World wine friends who are accustomed to single varietal wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc, I’ve based this upon grapes you likely know and like.
If you like sparkling wine like Prosecco or Champagne try….
Cava
Like many sparkling wines, Cava is a sparkling wine made from a blend of grapes. It is made in the traditional method, with the secondary fermentation taking place in bottle. There are 9 allowed varietals allowed to be in Cava, with Xarel-lo (called Premsa Blanca in Catalonia), Macabeo, and Parellada being the most common. The majority of Cava is produced in the Penedés region. However, Cava can also be made in certain other towns and regions, including one region in Southwestern Spain.
Aging requirements
Cava is required to be aged at least 9 months in bottle, reserva requires 18+ months in bottle and Cava Gran Reserva requires 30+ months in bottle. A newer classification called Cava de Paraje Calificado indicates the grapes come from a designated vineyard and it was aged a minimum of 36 months in bottle. These cavas are rare and more costly than a typical cava, but are high quality and very special.
Like other sparkling wines, Cava can be made in a wine range of sweetness from brut nature, which has no dosage (added sugar) to dulce (sweet). While the aromas and flavors can vary, some commonly used descriptors include yeast, bread, almonds, lemon peel and green apple.
Recommended pairings
Almost anything goes with Cava! Enjoy it as an aperitif, or pair with salads, fried food, seafood, cheese, or even dessert.
Popular producers include Juve y Camps, Gramona, Llopart, and Recaredo.
If you like light-bodied white wines with high acidity like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio try….
Rueda
Rueda white wines are typically made from a blend of predominately Verdejo with Sauvignon Blanc. They tend to be well-priced, very refreshing and meant to be enjoyed young. White wines from Rueda are known for their melon, citrus, and almond aromas & flavors with tense acidity.
Recommended pairings
Rueda is perfect for an aperitif or served alongside seafood or even Mexican food (hello fish tacos!).
Popular producers include Protos, Menade, Telmo Rodriguez, and Marqués de Riscal.
Albariño
This lovely mineral-driven white wine takes us to Galicia, Spain aka “Spain’s Ireland”. Galicia is known for seafood, apple cider, beautiful scenery & beaches. This region is at the very top of my list to visit once COVID is over. Albariño has notes of honey, lime, peach, alongside it’s calling card aromas of sea salt.
Recommended pairings
I always like to pair coastal wines with things from the sea, and Albariño naturally pairs well with seafood. The high levels of acidity and minerality also make it pair well with fried & salty foods, but it also pairs well with lean chicken dishes.
Popular producers include Zarate and Martin Codax.
Txakoli
Pronounced (cha-co-lee), Txakoli is Northwestern Spain in Basque country and is a bit of a lone ranger which it comes to Spanish wines. The low alcohol whites and rosados are slightly effervescent, bone dry and with lots of acidity. Although rosados, or rosés, weren’t traditionally made in Basque country, they now make and export 75% to the US market. While reds are produced, they are challenging to find even in Spain.
Recommended pairings
Like Rueda and Albariño, Txakoli is a perfect aperitif and is great with seafood or fried foods.
Popular producers to seek out include Ameztoi, Txomin Etxaniz, and K5.
If you like fuller bodied white wines like Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc try…
Godello
(go-day-o) Like Chardonnay, Godello has the ability to adapt depending on the terroir or winemaking techniques used. Godello commonly comes from the Ribeira Sacras and Valdeorras DOs in Galicia. Winemaking can vary a bit, with some wines being fermented in stainless steel, others in oak. Lees contact, which adds complexity and texture, is also often seen in Godello although too much can also have a negative impact on the wine.
Because winemaking techniques vary, there tends to be a larger range of aromas and flavors, in comparison to other Spanish white wines. It ranges from medium to full bodied with acidity that also varies, depending on fermentation and aging vessel. Typical tasting notes include honeysuckle, lemon, orange, salinity, and peach.
A grape with a past
Although many people love Godello, few know about its interesting past. After phylloxera and the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish wine industry was nearly decimated by Franco’s authoritarian rule. Because Franco wasn’t a drinker, he considered wine only useful in religious ceremonies. Because white grapes, including Godello, weren’t used during these ceremonies, Spanish bodegas were ordered to remove all white wine vines. During this period, many farmers were forced to plant and produce low quality bulk wines that they knew would help them feed their families.
In 1974, a man named Horacio Fernández Presa who worked for the Regional Department of Agriculture in Valdeorras created a project he named RE.VI.VAL in order to revive native grape varietals, like Godello, in the area. After years of hard work evangelizing the grape, Presa and fellow researcher José Luis Bartolomé opened Godeval, the first bodega dedicated to Godello.
Recommended pairings
Depending on the expression of the wine, Godello can pair with a lot of different dishes including seafood, mushrooms, tapas and poultry.
Popular producers to seek out include Rafael Palacios’ Louro, A Coroa, and Guitián.
If you like light to light to medium-bodied red wines like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc try…
Bierzo
Red wines from Bierzo are typically made from the Mencía grape, which is like the Spanish love child of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. It’s a light to medium-bodied red wine that has notes of black pepper, herbs, licorice, and raspberry. This is a grape and region has seen a boost in popularity thanks to the arrival of Ricardo Perez and his uncle Álvaro Palacios in the late 1990’s.
Recommended pairings
Depending on the body, it pairs well with chicken and pasta with tomato sauce, while the fuller bodied version can pair well with pork and some red meats.
Quality producers to seek out include Alvaro Palacios, Unculin, and Veronica Ortega.
If you like medium to full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Merlot try….
Rioja
La Rioja is synonymous for wine in Spain. While Rioja region also produces white and rosados, the region is known for its reds. Rioja is one of two DOCa or Denominación de Origen Calificada in Spain
Grapes of Rioja
Rioja is made from a blend of Tempranillo with smaller amounts of Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano, and Maturana Tinta. When young the flavors are a burst of red fruit like cherry and strawberry. With age, the wine can evolve to be deeper with dark fruits like plum and more complex earthiness. Common aromas and flavors include cherry, strawberry, plum, oak and vanilla. Tertiary aromas of leather, cedar, and smoke are also present, depending on the time spent in oak barrels or aged in bottle.
Aging requirements
One of my favorite selling points of Rioja is its aging. There are strict aging requirements in La Rioja, meaning the newest reserva vintage can be ~7 years old and have a much lower price tag than its New World counter parts. Click here to read my post about one of my personal favorite Riojas, the 2007 R Lopez de Heredia Viña Tonodia Reserva.
While Rioja doesn’t tend to be as juicy as a Zinfandel, the younger expressions like Crianza or Generico that have little-to-no oak aging can have a juicy explosion of red fruit, similar to that of Zinfandel but with lower alcohol.
Recommended pairings
Rioja is a somewhat versatile red wine and pairings can also vary depending on the time it was aged in barrels. A few of my favorite protein pairings include pork, lamb, and cheese plates.
While top classic producers include Muga, R Lopez de Heredia, and Rioja Alta, there are many quality bodegas in Rioja.
If you enjoy full bodied red wines with high tannins try….
Priorat
After Rioja, Priorat is the only other DOCa in Spain. Priorat lies 100 kilometers south of Barcelona in a mountainous landscape with somewhat extreme daily variations in temperature. The soil in Priorat is so poor that vines planted here tend to suffer and as a result harvest yields are very low with unique and highly concentrated flavors of black plum, fig, gravel, and herbaceous notes.
The grapes of Priorat
Grenache is the flagship grape of the region (~41% planted) with Carignan taking second at 23% of plantings. There are ten varietals planted throughout the region including Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and various other Spanish varietals.
About aging
While the aging requirements of Spain apply to Priorat, many producers release their wines as vinos de guarda, aka “aged wine”. These wines spend 18 months in oak barrels followed by 6 months in bottle before release. The quick turnaround on the wines means they are best consumed at least two years later. This means there is a range of styles being produced in Priorat, so it’s best to check how long your wine was aged.
Of all Spanish wine regions, Priorat is the only region in Spain that consistently has premium pricing, making it among some of the most expensive wine in Spain. Some producers to keep an eye out for are include Scala Dei, Clos Erasmus, Clos Mogador, Alvaro Palacios, and Mas Doix.
Recommended pairings
Due to the high tannins and full body of Priorat, the key is to match the bold flavors of the wine with the food. For this reason, I suggest grilled meats & vegetables, sausage, game meat, and hearty vegetarian dishes.
This list is just scratching the surface of Spanish wine! My next post will feature lesser know Spanish regions and grapes you should know.
Which Spanish wine regions would you like to know more about?
