Wine tasting: Doing it like a pro in Spain

Some people will head to Spain for the weather and culture – others will go there solely for the wine. Look through most grocery stores and wines from Spain will be donning a lot of shelf-space; this is a country which well and truly knows what it’s doing when it comes to fine wines and any connoisseur appreciates this.

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However, to fully appreciate the wine of Spain, it’s worth knowing a little about some of the regions. According to Bennett Kireker, this is one of the primary ways to take advantage of a country’s wine – by understanding the taste of each region and choosing one that suits your style.

Bearing this in mind, we’re now going to take a look at the main regions in Spain – and highlight what they can do for your wine senses.

Rioja

This is one region that any savvy wine shopper will have most definitely heard of. Rioja is one wine which is always found on the shelves of grocery stores – and it’s for good reason.

The region produces some of the best red wines around and takes advantage of the renowned Tempranillo grape, whilst also using the Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha from time to time as blending agents.

We should give a small mention to white wine as well, although this only accounts for approximately 10% of the region’s total production. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a different white, Virua is the brand that the region is famed for.

Ribera del Duero

We’ll stay on the topic of red wine again, as the Ribera del Duero is another region which is particularly famed for this. Once again, the Tempranillo grape is the main source of the flavor and if you understand the geography of Spain, it means that most of it comes from just north of Madrid.

The climate of this region makes Ribera del Duero wines particularly intense. This is because they have to contend with harsh winters but hot summers – meaning that the grapes are constantly having to adapt.

Rias Baixas

This time we’ll look at a region which is known for its white wine. While the previous two may have relied on Tempranillo grapes, the same can’t be said for Rias Baixas which uses Albarino grapes.

If you reside in the US, there’s every chance that you have tried a wine of this ilk. The States are the leading importer from this region, with many people a fan of the dry wines that tend to come out of it.

Penedes

The last region we’ll look at is the Penedes, which happens to be close to Barcelona. If sparkling wines are your thing, you should always look towards Penedes. Additionally, the region can make both white and red wines, meaning that there’s always something for everyone.

It’s also worth mentioning that wines from the Penedes region tend to be priced very competitively which naturally, makes them a favorite amongst the masses.