Small talk on Spanish wines
Posted on 01/19/2013
I like wines, specially red wines, and usually enjoy trying different brands from different countries, discovering in the process that some low priced wines are good (at least for my taste).
Spanish wines are one of the favorites here, perhaps because I lived some time in that country.
There are some interesting and often mentioned statistics about Spain as a wine producer (of course, I have not researched the accuracy of the claims):
- Spain is the third producer of wine in the world (after France and Italy).
- Number nine in wine consumption.
- It’s the most widely planted wine producing country in the planet with more than 400 varieties of grapes.
Well-known grapes from this country are the Alvarino (white wine grape that grows in Galicia), Tempranillo (a black grape variety), Gamacha (one of the most planted varieties that needs dry-hot conditions), Palomino and Airen (the most recognized grapes in the world are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon). In Spain, Rioja and Rivera del Duero are two of the most famous wine producing regions.
Reading the wine labels you will find Crianza (aged for 2 years and at least 6 months in oak for the red wines), Reserva (aged 3 years with 1 in oak) and Gran Reserva (with a total of at least 5 years of aging and 18 months in oak).
Last Christmas I tested a very good Spanish wine called Alidis (check the producer site here).