WineRegionsOld WorldSpain
Spain has more land under vines than any other country, though she has
only one third of Italy's production. This disparity represents the old
Spain, old techniques, and a country held together by a harsh Dictator.
The new Spain, though still discovering their post Franco cultures, is starting
to look north and west towards a more economic developed life. Though most
of Spain's wines are still produced in their traditional styles (often harsh
and seemly oxidized to American palates), the Spanish wine industry has
gradually clarified its production, improved its quality and began experimenting
with the more successful grapes and techniques of the rest of the world.
The most successful wines in every price category are red, primarily those
made from the Tempranillo grape, which dominates the regions of Rioja,
Ribera del Duero, Navarra and Toro. Cabernet Sauvignon has begun to make
an appearance, often blended with Tempranillo, while obscure local grape
varieties contribute to the distinctive character of wines from Penedès,
Priorato and Somontano. Spain's wine laws are similar to those of the French
appellation system, with the best vineyard regions delimited and regulated
in 52 Denominacíons.
Most bodegas (wineries) offer reds in four quality levels, which
correspond to the amount of aging (in wooden barrels or in bottle) the wines
receive before release. In order of increasing age (and price), they are:
sin crianza, crianza, reserva and gran reserva. Wines labeled
"sin crianza" are released in the year after harvest; often made,
at least in part, through the carbonic maceration method also responsible
for Beaujolais Nouveau, they are light and rarely leave Spain. Much of this
style of wine comes from the plains of La Mancha, with most of these
wines still made in huge earthenware pots, "tinajas." The wines
tend to get fruitier as you go east from La Mancha, to the Requena and
Utel regions in Valencia. For the best values and the freshest fruit,
look for crianza and reserva red wines, which spend at least one year aging
in oak barrels. Gran reservas must spend two years (and often stay much
longer) in oak, and are commonly released only five to seven years after
harvest. Even though they are intended to be the very best wines of their
vintage, they may be overly mature for American tastes.
The 1990 and '91 vintages are the best currently on the market, notably
from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. However, reservas and especially gran reservas
from the strong 1985 and 1986 vintages in these regions are worth seeking
out, and both 1994 and '95 vintages look promising. Rioja's modern
wine industry emerged under the guidance of Bordeaux wine makers fleeing
the ruin of the phylloxera epidemic in the late 19th century. Their legacies
include the practice of blending different grape varieties and aging the
wine in small oak barrels. However, Rioja is based predominately on the
local Tempranillo grape (with Garnacha as a secondary component used to
add body and alcohol; Mazuelo and Graziano are also authorized), and the
barrels are generally made from American rather than French oak, so the
resulting wines have a distinctive character all their own. Traditional
Riojas emphasize balance and elegance; top producers in this style include
CUNE, La Rioja Alta and Vina Tondonia. Responding to international demand
for rounder, fruitier wines, several bodegas have turned to new viticultural
techniques, French oak and shorter barrel aging to make wines with more
concentration. Leaders in this modern style include Bodegas Martinez Bujanda,
Contino and Bodegas Breton. Rioja's two oldest wineries, Marqués
de Riscal and Marqués de Murrieta, are still leaders, making outstanding
wines that manage to incorporate benefits of both schools.
Despite the fame and depth of Rioja's wine tradition, tastings in the past
few years suggest that Spain's most exciting red wines are now being made
in Ribera del Duero, located about 100 miles to the southwest. Though
granted a DO only in 1982, Ribera has benefited from two powerful dynamos:
Bodegas Vega Sicilia, Spain's most prestigious winery, founded in 1846,
and Alejandro Fernandez, an eccentric visionary whose Tinto Pesquera, made
only since 1972, has drawn international attention to the region. Other
reliable producers in the region include Bodegas Ismael Arroyo, Ibernoble
and Alion, a new venture from Vega Sicilia. Outside of Rioja and Jerez (sherry),
the rest of Spain is dominated by the large bodegas. Jerez is the one region
which is very organized and efficient with quality sherries produced in
large, medium and small bodegas. Rioja has a variety of producers though
most are linked by cooperative relationships and export is only allowed
by the bigger houses, 500 minimum barrique (wood barrels) stock.
Notable reds from other regions include the robust Navarras from
Bodegas Julian Chivite, the Torres winery's classic Mas La Plana, a Cabernet
Sauvignon from Penedès and René Barbier's Priorato Clos Mogador,
an inky giant made from intensely concentrated Garnacha grapes. But these
only scratch the surface; Spain produces a wealth of distinctive red wines,
and most sell for well under $20.
Sparkling wines, made by the classic Champagne method but using indigenous
grapes, also provide good value. Called "cava," these come primarily
from the Penedès region, near Barcelona. The non-vintage cuvées
offer the best value and a hearty, straightforward taste perfect for parties
or punches.
Whites are hit or miss in Spain. White Riojas and Ruedas, made largely
from Viura, are fresh and clean, while reservas, aged in American oak, are
voluptuous and herb-scented. Chardonnay and other varietal wines have few
advantages over competitors from other countries, but a few indigenous grapes
make distinctive wines from northern regions such as Penedès and
Galicia. White wines made from the Albarino grape in the northwest region
of Rias Baixas offer an appealing mix of ripe fruit and refreshing acidity.