Spanish Wine

[Tom8]

I am planning a trip through mainland Spain this summer and intend trying and stocking up with some fine Spanish wine. I really don't know much about Spanish wine but I do love a Rioja.

Does anyone have good knowledge and good recommendations both for tasting and buying, red, white, rose all considered!

Thank you.

[LooneyTunes]

If I was passing, I'd be hitting this one up as something reliable: https://www.riojalta.com/en/wine-tourism/rioja-alt...

890/904 are both great, but the likes of Ardanza can also be very good indeed (had a half of 2016 as my midweek treat last week).

[rdjohn]

A trip to HARO would be a good idea. Most of the best producers are based there, so a good place to spend half a day tasting, before you buy.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/peuGLVeugSnDrjJE7?g_st=ic

[Chris Stott]

Great wine is produced all over Spain, but if you're looking for somewhere to visit and get access to some of the top wineries without covering thousands of miles, Rioja and Ribera make most sense.

Both ostensibly use the same grape, tempanillo, but are quite different wines. You could visit Tondonia (producer of some truly outstanding Rioja) and Vega Sicilia (legendary Ribera winery... producer of some of the greatest wines in the world).

Add in a tour of the northwest of Spain (Basque, Asturias, Galicia) for the fantastic beef and seafood, and maybe add a trip to Rias Baixas to one of the Alborino wineries.

[sherman]

I dont know much about Rioja but Im led to believe the better stuff always has the golden metal fishing net style cage round it.

[Lotobear]

I know nowt about Spanish wine (as I'm about to demonstrate) but we just returned from a week in Valencia yesterday and guzzled through far too many bottle of Verdejo with every meal.

It's doubtless the Pinot Grigio of Spain but when thoroughly chilled it went down very well in the current heat, at least it did with a meal.

Other than that I will watch this thread and be educated.

When at home I do quite like Albarino

[Chris Stott]

Nothing wrong with Verdejo... and it's nothing like Pino Grigio... standard white for most Spanish and there are some really good ones.

I think Spanish wine is generally seen as cheap and reliable by the Brits... and there are plenty of very decent and relatively inexpensive Spanish wines... I rarely spend more than €5 on every day wine, and if a shop around I can get very decent Rioja's for that.

This is very good and I paid a whopping €4 a bottle as it was on a 2f1



But Spain also produces some of wines that can stand alongside the very best from around the world... with prices to match! Everyone knows Rioja, but should also try Ribera, Albarino, Priorat and a whole heap of other regional wines.

Have to say that I'm not a fan of Spanish Rose though... fortunately Aldi sell a very good French rose for €4, and the big supermarket also has Whispering Angel, if that's your thing.

[Lotobear]

Chris Stott said:

Nothing wrong with Verdejo... and it's nothing like Pino Grigio... standard white for most Spanish and there are some really good ones.

I think Spanish wine is generally seen as cheap and reliable by the Brits... and there are plenty of very decent and relatively inexpensive Spanish wines... I rarely spend more than 5 on every day wine, and if a shop around I can get very decent Rioja's for that.

This is very good and I paid a whopping 4 a bottle as it was on a 2f1



But Spain also produces some of wines that can stand alongside the very best from around the world... with prices to match! Everyone knows Rioja, but should also try Ribera, Albarino, Priorat and a whole heap of other regional wines.

Have to say that I'm not a fan of Spanish Rose though... fortunately Aldi sell a very good French rose for 4, and the big supermarket also has Whispering Angel, if that's your thing.

Whispering Angel - one for the council thread

When we go to Porto we tend to guzzle on Planalto, a very nice white if we can include the whole Iberian Peninsula

[Chris Stott]

Lotobear said:

When we go to Porto we tend to guzzle on Planalto, a very nice white if we can include the whole Iberian Peninsula

Same grape as Albariño... and grown in the same general vicinity.

[LooneyTunes]

sherman said:

I dont know much about Rioja but Im led to believe the better stuff always has the golden metal fishing net style cage round it.

The net is essentially a marketing device these days - provides no quality assurance at all, so isn’t a feature to rely on.

[Palmela]

As others have said, Spain makes some excellent wine. By all means do the wine tours but also just get stuck in to what you see in the shops and find things you like; you're unlikely to go too far wrong.

[Chris Stott]

LooneyTunes said:

sherman said:

I dont know much about Rioja but Im led to believe the better stuff always has the golden metal fishing net style cage round it.

The net is essentially a marketing device these days - provides no quality assurance at all, so isn t a feature to rely on.

I assumed he was taking the piss.

My local hypermarket stocks over 100 different Riojas, ranging from a couple of Euros to a few hundred euros a bottle. Not one has a 'golden net cage'

[LooneyTunes]

Chris Stott said:

LooneyTunes said:

sherman said:

I dont know much about Rioja but Im led to believe the better stuff always has the golden metal fishing net style cage round it.

The net is essentially a marketing device these days - provides no quality assurance at all, so isn t a feature to rely on.

I assumed he was taking the piss.

My local hypermarket stocks over 100 different Riojas, ranging from a couple of Euros to a few hundred euros a bottle. Not one has a 'golden net cage'

Not sure he was. You can find bottles with them on in the UK, and there is some historical relevance: https://www.decanter.com/learn/why-do-bottles-of-r...

[Chris Stott]

LooneyTunes said:

Not sure he was. You can find bottles with them on in the UK, and there is some historical relevance: https://www.decanter.com/learn/why-do-bottles-of-r...

I'll double check at the weekend.

[Lotobear]

Chris Stott said:

Lotobear said:

When we go to Porto we tend to guzzle on Planalto, a very nice white if we can include the whole Iberian Peninsula

Same grape as Albariño... and grown in the same general vicinity.

Never knew that but it confirms that I know what I like as we drink quite a lot of Albarino at home.

[jet_noise]

Valdepeñas is another.
White Rioja is pleasing too.

Beware Jumilla. Although it is cheap!
Although the Wine Soc. has a recent promotion of Bodegas Cerrón as being rather good.

ETA Jumilla

Edited by jet_noise on Thursday 25th June 09:05

[M11rph]

What is the approximate budget per bottle? One Man's Fine Wine is €15/btl another's might be €75-400.

I'd suggest enjoying some tapas bars in Logrono/Haro. You can choose from a huge range of wines from €2-10+/glass, take a photo of the label or note the wine and give then a simple score (be brutal or everything will be a 3 or 4 out of 5). It can be fun without getting too Wine W****r about it. This is the best way to do "wine tastings" IMO, the formal Bodegas tours are interesting and educational, but the tasting is necessarily only from that producer. That said do a winery tour, booking is advisable.



It's a great opportunity to try some great wines by the glass which by the bottle might be somewhat above your comfort price. Want to see what La Rioja Alta 890 is like? (£180/btl in UK) €37/big glass last time I was in a bar in Haro. Castillo Ygay GR etc [Tip:The top end wines will be served using a Coravin].

Nice...Nicer? @ La Rioja Alta in Haro


Have a google of your favourites, I tend to try and buy things which are difficult to get in the UK and aim for nice everyday wines under £20. You'll save some money but not huge amounts. I'll do my wine shop in the last couple of days before coming home or take care not to leave it in a baking hot car. 18 L allowance (24 bottles per person).

All ready for the return...


For the expensive stuff I don't really want it sat in a potentially very hot car. Check uk retailers or I use Decantelo still on occasion, excellent packaging DPD 1 hour delivery and the expensive stuff has had a temperature sensitive strip in the box to show if has been cooked.
https://www.decantalo.co.uk/en/

Short version:
This must be the easiest place on Earth to sample/enjoy/savour/compare multiple wines.
Go to Haro and have a full day or 2, visit La Estación area. There are about a dozen producers each within a one minute walk of each other, most have a terrace bar serving their wines (check opening times~ it's Spain!).... Siesta... Tapas and wine in town.

[Venisonpie]

Some great advice on here, whenever I go to Northern Spain I'm flabbergasted at the quality of wine by the glass at < 3 euros.

I agree with crawling around the tapas bars of Logrono and simply trying as much as you can.