Get a Taste of Spanish Wine

Spanish Wines - via Wikipedia

France may be the European country that we typically associate with wine but Spain too has a great tradition of producing quality red, white and sparkling wines as well as sherry.

Two of the most famous wine producing regions of Spain are Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Likewise two of the most well-known varieties of grape are the tempranillo and the graciano but there are hundreds more.

The region of La Rioja is about 200 kms north of Madrid, while Ribera del Duero is to the west of La Rioja near the city of Burgos. In fact Spain has more than fifty wine regions spread across the country.

However, it’s not necessary to know all the regions and grapes to choose a good bottle of Spanish wine. The most important thing you need to know is how to read the label. Every label will give you the following basic information.

First of all, there are six basic levels of quality. At number one is ‘vino de mesa’ which simple means ‘table wine.’ This wine is not graded, which means that it doesn’t come from a recognised region. While it can often taste ‘okay,’ it can bear a strong resemblance to watery vinegar.

Next on the list is ‘vino joven.’ This wine will come from a specific wine producing region. Wine that comes from a known region will have the marking D.O. on the label and the name of the region after it. ‘Vino joven’ or ‘young wine’ basically means a wine that has not been aged for very long.

After that comes ‘roble,’ which means ‘oak’ and this wine is lightly ‘oaked’ but doesn’t
reach the standard of crianza. A wine that has been aged for two years and six months in
oak is called ‘crianza.’

A higher quality wine that has been aged for 3 years, one of which has been in oak is
called a ‘reserva.’ This wine will also be made from a vintage quality grape. The highest
quality and number six on the list is a ‘gran reserva.’ This wine will be aged for five
years, two of which will be in oak. It will also be made from top quality vintage grape.

There are five main types of wine. The first is ‘tinto,’ which means ‘red.’ If ordering
a glass of red wine in a Spanish bar, you can ask for ‘un vino tinto.’ Then there
are ‘blanco,’ which means ‘white;’ ‘rosado’ which is a ‘rosé;’ ‘cava’ which is sparkling
and ‘espumoso’ which is a type of lower quality sparkling wine.

Spain is also famous for its sherry, which comes from Jerez, Montilla and Sanlucar de
Barrameda. The most well-known sherry is called ‘manzanilla’ and this is really popular
during Feria time. ‘Fino’ is a light dry sherry while ‘oloroso’ is a dark, full-bodied sherry.

White wines, sherry and cava are also defined by their sweetness. ‘Dulce’ means
sweet. ‘Seco’ means dry. ‘Semi-seco’ is medium dry while ‘brut’ is very dry.

All of this information you’ll be able to glean by reading the label on a bottle of wine,
sherry or cava. Or you can simply go to a real Spanish bodega, call the waiter and order!

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