Spanish Wine
For many years Spanish wine has been associated with "cheap plonk" and there are still plenty of wines that will fall into that category but perhaps this is not surprising for a country that has one of the largest areas of land committed for grape production in the world.
However, the best regions for wine production tend to be in the north near the Portuguese border and around the River Duero which, once it crosses the border into Portugal, becomes the River Douro. Here you will find some good reds based on the Cabernet Sauvignon grape and whites including Rias Baixes. To the north east is the famous region of Rioja that produces some of the best Spanish red wine, particularly from the region of Rioja Alta where quality is unsurpassed. The full bodied flavours of Rioja are reinforced by the ageing process where the wine is aged in American oak casks for at least twelve months and up to two years for a Gran Reservas label, followed by three years in the bottle before being released for sale.
the famous region of Rioja that produces some of the best Spanish red wine...
In southern Spain the best wines are made from the Palomino and Pedro Ximenez grapes. The grapes are allowed to stay in contact with the air for a prolonged period following fermentation and on some of the wine a thick coating of flor, which is a type of yeast, will develop on the surface of the wine. This yeast will pass on a distinctive flavour to the maturing wine and create a new flavoursome product; Sherry.
