Wines
from Spain
Wines
from Spain
“Today Spain is emerging as a leader in wine quality and creativity, combining the finest characteristics of tradition with a modern and progressive winemaking philosophy”. Robert M. Parker,Jr
What you need to know when buying
spanish wines.
Spanish wines are categorized by their
aging process:
Main wine-making regions in Spain are:
Spain is a country with a rich wine-making tradition, and not one of
the mass producers of wine; it produces per acre of land less wine than
other western European and New World wine-producing countries. Spanish DOs
have very strict limitations. The main wine regions in Spain are the
Northeast: Rioja, Navarra, Somontano, Penedes, Priorat and Monsant, and the
Northwest:
RIBERA DEL DUERO (Castilla y León)
BIERZO (Castilla
y León)
TORO (Castilla y León)
RIAS BAIXAS (Galicia)
RIOJA (Rioja)
PENEDES,MONTSANT AND PRIORAT(Catalunia)
CASTILLA Y LEON
Most of the well known DOs from Northwest-Spain come from this
Province. Castilla y León has beautiful scenery and remains dating from the
Romans and Visigoths; this area has a reputation for excellence among wine
connoisseurs. The wines are full bodied with lots of character and intense
fruit. The soil and climatic conditions are ideal for low yield, high
quality wines.
The DOs in this area have strict limits on yields.
1.
Bierzo
El Bierzo: Atlantic rain and Castilian sun.
The main
varieties are both indigenous- Mencia for red wines and Godello for whites.
The Knights Templar used to protect the pilgrimage route to Santiago de
Compostela and the area has a rich history of wine making.
2. Ribera del Duero
This area, dissected by the Duero river, with a large number of terroirs, is
considered to be the “new” area of wine making in Spain. High-quality red
wines aged in oak, exceptionally dark, superbly fruity, richly robust and
ageing extremely well. Some of the best Spanish wines come from this DO.
3.
Rueda
This DO is dedicated to floral, herbal and award-winning
white wines from the Verdejo grape, native to thisarea.
Some of the best
wine infrastructure with kilometer-long underground tunnels from the 14th
century are typical of this area.
4. Toro
The “new” wine-making miracle! Dark red wines with excellent extract and
tannin levels from the local Tinta de Toro tempranillo variety, created as a
result of the special climate and conditions.
This area exported wine to
France during the phylloxera outbreak.
GALICIA
5.
Rias Baixas
This region is another up-and-coming area in Spain,
located in the Province of Galicia, this DO produces excellent white wines
made with the Albariño grape. This unique local variety, grown on
pergola-style trained vines, creates the fresh, aromatic and light white
wines this area is famous for. This grape variety is grown in close
proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Albariño is fast becoming one of the most
popular white wines and rightly so!
An albarino was the first Spanish
white wine to win the coveted Medaille d’Or at the Vinexpo in Bordeaux
(France) in 1991.
Albariño wines are perfect with seafood or just
enjoyed on their own.
RIOJA
6. La Rioja
The most traditional of Spanish wine
regions, indeed. It has changed its style over the last twenty years to
effectively compete with the new and modern emerging wines from Ribera del
Duero,Montsant,Priorat. However, it is still the wine to go for if you like
the flavours of old Spain: the mature, vanilla, berry and leathery taste of
the reds. Red Riojas are traditionally a blend of the Tempranillo and
Garnacha ( Grenache in France).
The traditional white grapes of Rioja
are Viura and Malvasia. One can find young wines (straw, yellow, fruity
aromas and herbaceous notes), to traditional aged wines (golden colour in
which the oak predominate on the mouth and nose). This area also offers Rosé
wines which are basically produced from Garnacha. They are fruity fresh and
pleasant on the palate.
CATALUNIA
7. Priorat
In Priorat the change has gone even
further. This region is one of the new stars of Spain; it’s powerful red
wines, with luscious fruit, intense cherry colour and mineral overtones.
They offer a complex nose with ripe fruit and the marked character of
terruño. They are some of the most expensive and sought after in Spain. This
is a geologically isolated wine growing area , surrounded by a ring of high
mountains. They pick practically grape by grape for their best wines. Low
yields (rarely over 2000kg/ha) and slate soil are characteristics of this
area where the Garnacha and Cariñena are combined in the high ranges with
lesser percentages of foreign varieties Their whites are produced mainly
from Macabeo and Garnacha Blanca. Straw yellow coloured, they have fruity
aromas and are reminiscent of mountain herbs. This area also produces Rosés,
they are known for their ripe fruit notes.
The traditional wine Rancios
of this region have aromas of almonds and notes of mountain herbs. There are
also a range of sweet wines with a cloudy cherry colour ,black fruit aroma
almost raising like and notes of toast due to the aging.
8.
Montsant
This increasingly popular area produces high quality
red wines of strong colour and commendable body. The soil is mainly clay and
chalk. Grape varieties are mainly Garnacha. The young wines are fruity,
meaty and flavourful. Those aged in barrels have high levels of fruitiness:
they are also powerful, meaty with a high alcohol content. The white wines
of this region are based on Garnacha Blanca: they have body and a certain
structure with characteristic notes of herbs and hints of Mediterranean
woodland. Whereas the whites from Macabeo are lighter and refined, fresh and
fruity.
Its Rosés are characterized by a good berry definition. On the
traditional wines we have the sweet liqueurs made from Garnacha. They are
sticky and mellow on the palate with a taste of raisins and preserve fruit.
9. Penedés
Historically a red wine growing area
for centuries, nowadays two-thirds of its wine growing area is planted with
white wine grapes. This is the Cava (methode Champenoise) producing area in
Spain and this increasingly popular and high quality sparkling wine accounts
for the success of this wine growing area.
The varietals mostly used to
produces cava are: Xarello, Parellada, Macabeo and some indigenous dark
varieties like UlldeLlebre(Tempranillo), Garnacha, Monastrell, Carinena and
Samso.
The reds produced in this region are from its indigenous grapes,
generally Garnacha and Tempranillo. They are young, and are pleasant to
drink, although they might be light as well. Where as those aged in wood
have notes of fine wood with fruity aromas and are of good intensity. And on
the palate theyare concentrated and meaty. This area also produces Rosés;
which are powerful, aromatic and fresh.
Some of the wineries we represent:
1. Condes de Albarei
The
largest and one of the highest-quality producersin the Rias Baixas DO. Their
principal label - Albariño Condes de Albarei - was the first Spanish white
wine to win thecovetedGold medal at Vinexpo, Bordeaux (France) in 1991.
Our wine selection:
- Condes de Albarei
- Enxebre (pron. “Ensevre”)
- Carballo Galego
2.
Bodegas y Vinas Dos Victorias
A unique winery owned and run by
two female enologists with the first name Victoria.
All their red wines
have received 90-95 Parker Points. They won “Revelation Winery of the Year”
in 2004 and “Newcomer of the Year” in 2005. These wines are sought after and
are produced in limited quantities.
An extraordinary winery, with
extraordinary wines!
Our wine selection:
- Vinas Elias Mora
- Elias Mora Crianza
- Gran Elias Mora
- Jose Pariente Verdejo
(Award-winning white wine)
3. Bodegas y Vinedos
Agribergidum
The Bodega Agribergidum is located below the
ruinsof the “Castro Bergidum”, a Roman military settlementin the small
villageof Pieros in the Bierzo.
No
pesticides and only natural fertilizers are used to grow the vines on the 65
hectares of vineyards. Some of the vines are 90-100 years old. Exquisite
wines from the local Mencia (red) and Godello (white) grape varieties.
Some of our wine selection:
- Fructus
- Encomienda Templaria (“Templars
Wine”)
- Castro Bergidum
4. Vina Vilano and Bodegas
Vendimia
Vina Vilano
300 hectares of vineyards, in
Pedrosa de Duero, with different exposures and at different elevations. The
high-quality wines from this winery have won many international awards.
Some
of their vines date back to 1957.
Some of our wine selection:
- Vina
Vilano Tinto
- Vina Vilano Roble
- Vina Vilano Crianza
- Vina
Vilano Reserva
Bodegas Vendimia
Mr. Serafín Moya, the
chief enologist for Vina Vilano,
has
created his own line of wonderful, full-bodied red wines of superior
quality.
One of his quotes is:
“Wine is made in the vineyard,
not in the winery”.
Some of our wine selection:
- Ochavo (
Tempranillo/Merlot)
- Ochavo ( Tempranillo/ Cabernet Sauvignon)
-
Azemur Roble/Crianza and Reserva ( DO Toro)
6. Bodegas
Carmelo Rodero
A remarkable winemaker who creates remarkable
wines!
Carmelo Rodero has designed his own wine-making system toproduce
some of the best wines we have tasted.
Passion,
skill and grapesfrom some of the best areas in Ribera del Duero are the
ingredients for these magnificent wines. These superb wines are produced in
limited quantities.
Some of our wine selection:
- Carmelo Rodero
Tinto Crianza
- Carmelo Rodero Tinto Reserva
- TSM
- Valtarreña
7. Grupo Yllera
Six
generations of Yllera wine growers and wine producers guarantee high quality
products from three DOs. Wines are aged in a mile-long cellar 60 feet
underground dating from the 14th century. A great selection of wines!
Some of our wine selection:
- Cuvi
- Bracamonte Roble
-
Garcilaso
- Yllera Crianza