by
Shannon Porter, Personal Wine Consultant with The Traveling Vineyard
Spain
is known for conquering – the Spanish Conquistadors, the settlement
of the New World, the Spanish Armada – and now there is a “quiet
revolution” in Spanish winemaking that just began in the mid-1990s.
Wine
making in Spain began a thousand years before the Roman Empire. The
Spanish people have always had a great respect for history and tradition
and this kept them from modernizing their winemaking processes. While
Spain has more land “under vine” than any other country
in the world – their market share was falling fast. In the mid-1990s,
winemakers decided they needed to balance their traditional winemaking
techniques with a focus on quality, updating their equipment and modernizing
their grape-growing methods. They are now the third largest wine exporting
country in the world, yet many of us have never had a Spanish wine.
Perhaps
you have been to the restaurant “Rioja” in downtown Denver.
The Rioja region is Spain’s most prestigious wine region and the
only one to bear the DOC (highest ranking) classification of wines.
Located just five hours from Bordeaux, France, many of the wines in
Rioja have a French influence, such as long aging in oak barrels. The
Tempranillo grape, Spain’s “signature” red grape,
is primarily used in Rioja wines; however, many winemakers may also
blend in other varietals such as Grenache.
You
may not have heard of the wine region Castille La Mancha (remember Don
Quixote, the man of La Mancha?), but it is home to the most planted
grape in the world – Airén – a white grape. The intense
sun in this region intensifies the sugars in the grapes, thus producing
wines with an unusually high alcohol content of up to 15%. In addition
to Airén, this region produces red wines made from the Tempranillo
grape. Wine experts have called this region the next “Napa Valley”
of the wine world; however, many of its wines remain the best values
available.
Valencia,
on the eastern coast of Spain is also a great value region for Spanish
wines. White wines from the Mersegura grape offer hints of lemon, apple
and almond. Valencia’s red wines are usually a mix of Tempranillo
and Cabernet Sauvignon and are often aged in American oak.
If
you like “trendy” wines, look for wines from the Toro or
Penédes regions. Toro’s wines are lush, full-bodied and
peppery… reminiscent of France’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape region.
The Penédes region wines include some international varieties
such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon
Blanc. This region is also home to some of Spain’s first organic
vineyards.
So
this fall, make up some tapas or paella, and invite your friends to
bring a bottle of Spanish wine to try with different foods. Even if
they are not sure what the type of grape is, it is fun to try new wines
and you’ll more than likely be pleasantly surprised!
Go
to here
for some tapas recipe ideas. Salud!
Zinfully
yours, Shannon
Shannon
Porter is an Independent Wine Consultant with The Traveling Vineyard
and has conducted over 200 wine tastings. Started in 2002 as a division
of Geerlings and Wade - the largest direct to consumer wine distributor
in the U.S. - The Traveling Vineyard is based on a simple premise: the
best way to buy wine is to taste it first. Modeled after tasting rooms
found at fine wineries the world over, The Traveling Vineyard allows
you to sample and learn about wine in the comfort of your own home.
To learn more about booking a free in-home wine tasting event or for
information on how to become an independent wine consultant; visit:
www.freewinetasting.net.
