STEEPED in history and blessed with a microclimate, Spain has been growing grapes since day dot and this exciting, fashion-conscious country boasts the biggest vineyard in the world.
Most of the famous regions are located along the River Duero, and with more acres under vine than any other land, the wines offer a tasting voyage of discovery from Rias Baixas on the north-western tip, to up-and-coming Priorat in the north-east, and most famously Rioja in the north.
The Spanish love to party, and inviting these cosmopolitan flavours to the table is a marvellous reason to hunt down the staple ingredients for a paella, tuck into a plate of Iberico ham and uncork a Spanish gem.
For a taste of Spanish sunshine to chime with seafood tapas, try ES Vina Ludy Albarino 2010, Rias Baixas (£7.48, Asda). Albarino (pronounced al-bar-reen-yo) is Galicia’s trendy grape and this good entry-level white displays classic aromatic hallmarks with a mineral-laced, limey zestiness and peachy fruit.
There’s not doubting Rioja signals red for Spanish wine, but tipplers mustn’t forget the virtues of a good, rich white Rioja such as Finca Allende Rioja Blanco 2008 (£20.40, www.bbr.com). The label may not get the pulses racing, but this glorious straw-yellow white made from a harmonious blend of malvasia and viura is quite delightful. Buttery and tropical, it triumphs on the palate with the slightest sherry profile and good acidity on the long finish. Good with food, Allende complements flaky fish and white meats.
Not all red Riojas are created equal, and the flavours of oak-aged tempranillo can vary from rounded vanilla and strawberries, to rich, dark and dense, and even to more leathery and earthy. Some modern bodegas are replacing American oak with French and most of the wines are blended with other varieties, but what is certain is Rioja’s enduring appeal.
And you can’t go wrong with Marques del Norte Rioja 2010 (£4.28, Asda), winner of Decanter 2011 Regional Trophy Best Rioja under £10. A medium-bodied, inky black with plenty of damson fruits, soft tannins and a cigar element, this wine punches above its weight.
Dense, oaky reds such as Baron de Barbon O/A Rioja 2010 (£7.99, www.laithwaites.co.uk) have complex savoury fruit flavours thanks to time spent in American and French barrels and the Baron certainly packs a punch with well-integrated oak, cherries, violet and blackberries, warm spicy wood and firm tannins.
With modern aromas of wild strawberries and raspberry, you can almost nose inside the barrel of Tesco’s tempranillo temptress, Finest Vina Mara Rioja Reserva 2007 (£9.49, Tesco). This super wine spends 20 months in oak and it’s seductive and powerful with jammy fruit, vanilla spice, cloves and silky smooth tannins.
