Spain

OUR SPANISH WINES

Spain has more land under vines than any other country in the world but only ranks third in terms of production. Apart from Sherry, Spain produces large quantities of red, white and rosé wine ranging from the humblest vino de mesa up to the highly sought-after creations of Rioja, Penedès and Rias Baixas.

Quality Grades
Vino de Mesa Is the Spanish e quivalent of the French Vin de Table but can qualify for DO status.

Denominación de Origen or DO Is the Spanish equivalent of the French AC and guarantees the geographical provenance of a wine. There are also strict controls on viticulture, vinification and alcohol content, all of which establish norms of quality. This system was introduced in 1970 and local bodies were appointed to administer its function. These bodies are known as Consejos Reguladores. There are now over thirty DO regions in Spain covering table wines, sparkling wines and fortified wines.

Denominación de Origen Calificada or DOCa This is a higher quality grade introduced in 1991 primarily for the wines of Rioja.

GRAPE VARIETIES
There are a multitude of different varieties grown in Spain. The most important grapes, especially in Rioja, are the black Tempranillo, Garnacha (Grenache) and Graciano. Predominant white varieties must include Viura, Albariño, Verdejo and, in the production of Sherry, Palomino and Pedro Ximenez. There are many aliases, with the Tempranillo alone, for example, being alternatively known as Tinto Fino, Cencibel or Ull de Llebre depending on the region. International varieties are now also very much at large. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and even Riesling are grown with surprising success in a variety of areas.

MAIN REGIONS
Rioja DOCa This important wine region lies in northern Spain along the banks of the river Ebro and receives its name from one of its tributaries, the Rio Oja.

The region is divided into three districts with its epicentre being the town of Logroño: Rioja Alta Rioja Alavesa Rioja Baja

The Rioja Alta and the Rioja Alavesa share a similar climate, tempered by the cool influence of the Atlantic, and only remain apart for administrative reasons. They are the home of the finest wines of Rioja.

The Rioja Baja has a warmer, more Mediterranean influenced climate, which produces stronger, coarser wines which are suitably used for blending.

Most of the production are red wines and they can be classified as Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva depending on their length of time in oak cask. Vino Joven indicates a young wine with no oak contact. White Rioja, made from the Viura, is either of the old-fashioned oaky, slightly maderised style, or one of the more modern cool-fermented wines with vibrant fruit and crisp acidity. It's a matter of taste!

NAVARRA
Lies to the north of Rioja and has a cool, temperate climate. The region is split into five sub zones according to climate, from the cooler slopes of the Pyrenees to the Ribera region around the city of Tudela in the south. For red wines, the Garnacha grape predominates with the Tempranillo coming a poor second, and the small quantity of white wine depends on the Viura (Macabeo). Plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay are being encouraged by local authorities. The style of wine and wine making is similar to that of Rioja.

PENEDÈS
Most of Spain's quality sparkling wine Cava is made in this region, specifically in and around the small town of San Sadurní de Noya. It is also a DO region producing a vast amount of red, white and rosé wine, some of considerable quality. Since the late 1960s Bodegas Miguel Torres, among others, have made highly successful wines from Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Muscat and Gewüztraminer.

LA MANCHA
Europe's largested demarcated wine region lying south of Madrid and the home of Don Quixote. The climate is extreme, scorching hot in the summer and very cold during the winter.and it is the main source of wine sent for distillation into Spanish brandy. The white Airén is the most planted variety with the Cencibel (Tempranillo) being the predominant red grape. Some enterprising growers are experimenting with Cabernet Sauvingon and Chardonnay but the results await assessment. Large quantities of basic red and white wine come from the region.

VALDEPEÑAS
A wine region in Castile-La Mancha in south central Spain producing soft, ripe red wines. The landscape of rolling vineyards that is Valdepeñas is, in fact,an extension of La Mancha but the region has developed a reputation for quality exceeding that of its larger neighbour and has consequently earned a separate DO. As in La Mancha, the white Airén is the principal grape, although the region gains it reputation for red wines rather than white. The red Cencibel (Tempranillo) produces the best red wines, which age well in oak and competent Reservas and Gran Reservas are good value.

VALENCIA
Spains largest port and third largest city lends its name to this region, which is one of five DOs in the Levante.The vineyards are well away from the city and lie inland from the paddy fields which border the Mediterrenean. Production of white wine exceeds red. The main variety for the neutral dry white wines of the region is the Merrseguera, and for sweet wine, the local Moscatel Romano. Strong yet coarse reds are produced from both Monastrel and Garnacha grapes.

MONTILLA MORILES
This DO region lies in Andalucia in southern Spain just south of the city of Córdoba and produces both fortified and unfortified wines in the style of Sherry. Wine making practices in the region mirror those of Sherry and the terms Fino, Amontillado and Oloroso are permitted on Montilla labels. The predominant grape variety is the Pedro Ximenez, which seems to thrive in the hot climate. Montilla exports to the UK are normally unfortified and thus take advantage of lower duty rates.

RIBERA DEL DUERO
An important wine region in Castile-León in north central Spain challenging Rioja as the leading wine-producing area of Spain. Ribera del Duero spans the broad valley of the river Duero (Douro in Portugal) east of the ancient city of Valladolid. The region was awarded DO status in 1982 but Bodegas Vega Sicilia in the west of the region has been producing one of Spain's best red wines since the nineteenth century. The main red grape variety is the Tinto Fino or Tinta del Pais, which a relative of the Tempranillo and white wine is made from the Albillo. There are also plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec confined to certain vineyards and some outstanding white wine has recently been made from the Sauvignon Blanc.

RIAS BAIXAS
This is the leading wine zone in Galicia in the north west of Spain, producing some of the country's most sought-after dry white wines. Lying in the province of Pontevedra and named after the flooded coastal valleys, or Rias, that penetrate up to twenty miles inland, the region's reputation is based on the white Albariño grape, which has been accorded cult status in Spain. The Albariño produces intensely fruity dry white wine with modest alcohol. Yeilds are low and the wine is correspondingly expensive. There is no significant red wine production in the area.