With its millennial history, an impressive number of wine sub-zones spread throughout the country and a remarkable variety of labels, Spain today occupies a prominent place in the world wine scene, preceded only by Italy and France in terms of quantity of wine produced. This abundance - which goes hand in hand with unfailing quality - is due to a variegated terroir, as well as to the experience and passion that is breathed in the local wineries.
If you want to take a journey to discover the best Spanish wines, this is the guide for you, including historical notes and pairing tips!
Spanish red wines: grit and passion in the glass
The characteristics of Spanish red wines vary from one production area to another, surprising the consumer with different nuances and styles. Generally speaking, the warm climates of most of the production regions give rise to intense and decisive aromas, to be experienced with good meat dishes.
‘Buenas Razones’ Crianza Rioja DOC 2019
From the region of Rioja - one of the most important in the country - comes an unmissable wine that combines the traits of the most popular red grapes, Tempranillo and Graciano. This is the ‘Buenas Razones’ Crianza Rioja DOC 2019, characterised by an intense red colour, tending towards violet, and a bewitching aromatic bouquet.
The olfactory examination is a real experience, giving the nose a riot of vanilla notes reminiscent of pastries, with woody and red fruit hints. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with soft tannins, acidic hints and a toasty aftertaste that comes from the long period of ageing in oak barrels.
The pairing of Spanish wines and food in this one puts the spotlight on the majority of meat recipes: stews, full-bodied pies - traditional or modern - sausages with mashed potatoes or beef steaks, up to lamb chops. For those who do not like meat, however, a glass of this excellent red can be enjoyed with a board of semi-mature cheeses, alone or accompanied by bread or croutons.
‘Enemigo Mio’ Garnacha 2023 PGI Terra de Murcia
Garnacha is another of the red grape varieties used in the production of Spain's most famous wines, which are widespread in many regions of the country. These include the ‘Enemigo Mio’ Garnacha 2023 IGP Terra de Murcia.
The distinct elegance of this wine is perhaps one of the most striking traits, starting with the refined cherry red colour, to the mixture of fruity notes, including hints of blueberry and cherry. This is enriched by hints of caramel, spices, dried fruit and cocoa, conferred by resting in oak barrels, while the palate strikes an interesting balance between softness and freshness.
The best way to try it is with a rich selection of savoury cured meats, medium mature cheeses and refined meat dishes, such as beef fillets, a slice of glazed duck breast or roast quail with herbs.
Discovering Spanish whites and bubbles
The only way to describe the characteristics of Spanish white wines is to do so using the word ‘variety’. The large number of grape varieties spread across the territory and the different climatic conditions create an array of heterogeneous products, to be discovered one sip at a time!
‘Pájaro en Mano' D.O. Rías Baixas 2023
A humid, windy area, but also characterised by providential exposure to sunlight, Galicia offers wine lovers an exceptional white wine, ‘Pájaro en Mano’ D.O. Rías Baixas 2023, vinified from pure Albarino grapes.
The luminous straw yellow colour is the feature that first catches the eye, followed - during the olfactory examination - by an organoleptic bouquet that captivates the senses, made up of refined notes of white pulp fruit, green lemon and lime. On the palate, the savoury and fresh notes stand out above all, amplified by the lingering citrus suggestions, which help to rinse the palate of the brackish flavours of most fish dishes.
Fresh oysters, seafood salads, fried squid and grilled king prawns go well with this wine, a truly unmissable Spanish white!
‘El Gordo del Circo’ Verdejo 2023 DO Rueda
Not only fish, but also delicate white meats are the favourite ingredient of this Spanish white, made from 100 per cent Verdejo grapes. This is why a glass of ‘El Gordo del Circo’ Verdejo 2023 DO Rueda is just what you need if the menu includes a comfortable roast chicken with chips, savoury pies with chicken and leeks, turkey salads, or butter chicken.
All these dishes, one more delicious than the other, find their ideal match in the tropical hints of this wine, which mixes notes of pineapple, lime and grapefruit with secondary herbaceous hints. The taste is equally surprising, fresh and exotic, with a lingering aftertaste of aniseed that leaves you speechless.
Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2015
When talking about Spanish sparkling wines, it is impossible not to mention the country's most important bubbly, Cava, which derives its production style from the French Champenoise method. However, the grapes are different (Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada), better suited to the particular terroir of Catalonia, the home of this sparkling wine.
The types of Cava are varied, but an excellent tasting experience can be offered by a product that has undergone a long period of ageing, such as a 2015 Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature, which brings complex and structured aromas to the glass. The identity of this organically produced millesimato is expressed with very refreshing mineral notes and hints of apricot, peach, apple, hazelnut and Mediterranean herbs. The sip reveals a roasted aftertaste reminiscent of coffee and soft suggestions of bread crust, conferred by the stay on the lees.
How to pair Spanish wines of this type? Cava goes well especially with fish aperitifs, such as salmon meatballs, crab sandwiches, shrimp cocktails, but also with main courses, such as grilled shellfish or sea bass fillets with herbs.
Spain's main wine-growing areas, terroirs and most widespread vineyards
Faced with a wine map of Spain, it is hard not to be astonished at how the entire country is studded with wine regions, occupying roughly the entire territory, from the coast to the hinterland. In all, there are 139 official zones, each characterised by a different terroir and noteworthy local productions.
Broadly speaking - and for the sake of brevity - it is possible to encapsulate this enormous heritage in 5 main regions:
- Rioja: one of Spain's most important wine regions, located in the north-central part of the country and famous above all for its reds made from Tempranillo grapes. Other varieties are Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo among the reds and Viura Macabeo among the whites. In terms of climate, Rioja is shielded to the north and west by mountain ranges, which protect the region from the cool temperatures coming in from the Atlantic and maintain a generally warm and dry climate. The most favourable soils for viticulture are those with a high limestone content.
- Andalusia: located in south-west Spain, it is famous for its extensive production of fortified wines, especially Sherry. The climate has cool temperatures in the west, near the Atlantic coast, and Mediterranean features in the south, while the hinterland is warmer and drier. These characteristics - combined with chalk-rich soils - create the perfect terroir for growing Pedro Ximenez, Moscatel, Palomino, Airén, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot varieties.
- Castilla y León: A large region north-west of Madrid, it has a continental-type climate, conferred by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, warm and dry in summer and rather cold in winter. The conditions that most give the vineyards - especially Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Verdejo and Viura - their distinctive characteristics are cool nights and daytime temperature ranges. The soils are composed of limestone, sand and clay.
- Galicia: located in the north-west of the country, it is known in particular for the production of fresh, aromatic whites made from Albarino grapes. The reds, on the other hand, are not very common, made from Mencia grapes and outshone by white varieties such as Godello, Loureiro, Torrentes, Treixadura and Caiño Blanco.
The region is lashed by winds from the Atlantic Ocean, which give the area a good level of humidity, while rainfall is abundant on the coast. However, the ripening of the grapes is facilitated by good sun exposure. The soils vary from granite and slate to gravel, clay, silt and sand.
- Catalonia: this region of north-eastern Spain has a Mediterranean climate that is warmer and drier on the coast and cooler in the hilly and mountainous inland areas. Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine par excellence, is mainly produced here. The wines here from Catalonia have an intense minerality derived from vineyards cultivated on granite, chalk and fractured slate soils. The most cultivated varieties are the whites Parellada, Macabeo, Chardonnay and Xarel-lo, while the red grapes include Tempranillo, Garnacha and Monastrell.
The Spain of wine, between past and present
The first to start wine production in Cádiz (ancient Gadir) were the Phoenicians, in 1100 B.C., taking advantage of the area's warm climate to make mainly fortified wines. Many centuries later, around 100 B.C., it was the Carthaginians who improved wine-making techniques, later passing the baton to the Romans, who greatly expanded the area planted with vines and spread their wine-growing and wine-making practices to the local populations (Celts and Iberians).
The rule of the Moors in the 7th century marked a slowdown in local production, which resumed after the Christian Reconquista in the 15th century. However, the wines exported - mainly to England - were heavy and oxidised, characteristics that made a change necessary. This came thanks to a Rioja grower, who imported oak barrels from Bordeaux and the main French production techniques, improving product preservation and quality.
Powdery mildew, phylloxera and the civil war between the 19th and 20th centuries were devastating for the local vineyards, which were destroyed and abandoned until the Franco era, which favoured the production and export of wine in large quantities, without, however, focusing on quality. It was not until the mid-1970s that quality became a key criterion for local producers, who demonstrated their love of terroir and raw material by creating fine Spanish wines that are still appreciated by wine lovers today.
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