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y James Nevison
Pop Quiz: How many wine regions
in Spain can you name? Rioja
is likely the first that jumps to
mind, as it’s long been the country’s
most famous vineyard locale and
world-renowne d arbiter of top drop
Tempranillo. Then there’s Jerez, home to
soleras and sherry. Oh, and don’t forget
Penedès, Spain’s epicentre of bubbly that
continues to create a global supply of
effervescent cava.
Amazingly, in just these three
regions, we’ve covered the wine basics,
going from reds and whites to fortified
wines right on through to
sparkling, without crossing
any national boundaries. And
we’re just getting started!
The diversity of Spanish wine
is fantastic, but arguably it
doesn’t quite get the same
attention of the grand appellations and
demarcated denominaziones of Spain’s
fellow Old World bastions of France
and Italy. However, the broad range
shouldn’t come as a surprise. After
all, Spain has more land devoted to
vineyards than any other in the world.
In fact there are nearly 70 designated
wine regions in Spain, which officially
bear the labels Denominación de Origen
Calificada or Denominación de Origen
(DOCa or DO). So, while Rioja will
always be synonymous with Tempranillo,
it’s not altogether surprising to find the
grape thriving in other regions of Spain
as well. Head west from Rioja and you’ll
eventually land in the brown, chalky soils
of Ribera del Duero. Here Tempranillo
is commonly known as Tinta del País or
Tinto Fino, but it’s the same grape and
remains the driving force behind the
region’s robust reds.
Keep the course and continue
following the Duero river towards
Portugal and you’ll encounter the
windswept, small town-dotted DO of
Toro, another historical wine region that
has recently enjoyed significant critical
attention and acclaim. Toro’s wineries rely
on Tinta de Toro – a localized mutation
of Tempranillo – as the backbone to their
reds, which are typically more ripe, rich
and full-bodied compared to the wines
PriorAT, ALonG WiTH THE LArGEr SurrounDinG
ArEA oF MonTSAnT, HAS quiCKLy GonE FroM
obSCuriTy To FASHionAbLE WinE CounTry.
from northerly Rioja.
But it’s not all reds and Tempranillo
in Spain, as a jaunt north into the region
of Rías Baixas highlights. Albariño, a
white grape with small, sweet berries,
thrives on the rugged Atlantic coastline
in Galicia, producing an intensely floral
and fruity white of sophisticated elegance
that coincidentally pairs swimmingly well
with fish and seafood.
Trekking back inland leads to DO
Bierzo in the province of León. Bierzo
is another up-and-coming Spanish
wine region, its rising popularity mostly
attributable to the Mencia grape, an
early ripening red that tends to produce
complex, mouth-watering wines with
lower alcohol levels, making Mencia
food-friendly and food versatile.
Following the Spanish sun south
leads to Andalucia’s Montilla-Moriles.
Like Jerez, this is a region known for its
aperitif and dessert-style wines, and the
wines of the Denominación follow the
classification system used by sherry, its
more famous cousin.
Skipping back across the peninsula
to Catalonia leads to another region on
the rise. Priorat, along with the larger
surrounding area of Montsant, has quickly
gone from obscurity to fashionable
wine country, with wine enthusiasts
and collectors especially fawning over
the powerful wines originating
from the rugged, slate-imbued
llicorella soils of Priorat. Garnacha
and Cariñena are the grape
mainstays and may be blended
with international cultivars such as
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
This brings us to 10 Spanish regions
and – though we’re just getting started
– already a gamut of grapes and a cellar
full of different wine styles. The wines
of Spain cover a huge spectrum and
undoubtedly, forthcoming years will see
other Spanish regions rise to prominence.
But even if a wine tour of Spain isn’t
immediately foreseeable, a closer look
at the bottles lining the Spanish wine
section will still lead you on a tasty trip
around the country.
The wines that accompany this
article have two things in common.
One, their widely-planted and
microclimate-rich country of origin
and two, the fact that they have each
been rated 90 points or higher by
international wine reviewers.
TASTE 5
2011
VPIWF