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Spanish wine map wine folly4/25/2024 More recently winemakers shifted to longer maceration and shorter aging in new French oak. The classic Rioja style creates a red wine pale in color and aged in American oak. Tempranillo is the most important variety here by far (with 60% of vineyards dedicated to the grape) followed by Garnacha and other reds for blending. Riojaįinally, there’s the well-known Rioja region, which is divided into three zones of wildly differing temperatures, altitude and soil-Alta, Alavesa, and Baja. Its 50/50 blend of Garnacha and tempranillo provides a fruit-forward freshness that pairs well with such regional cuisine as grilled artichokes and other fresh veggies, reminiscent of a classic pinot noir. This light-colored red has a freshness and lower alcohol level (12.5%) more typical of coastal regions rather than the inland region where it resides. Itxas Harri “Beltza” Garnacha (Navarra, Spain) So we chose a wine that mixed two of the most prevalent local varietals: The primary grape here is Garnacha, but a lot of the land has been replanted with tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and chardonnay thanks in part to the high volume of French wine merchants that settled in the area. Navarra is further north, in the Basque region bordering France, curving around the northeastern corner of the Rioja region. Notes of kiwi and pear highlight a crisp minerality with a subtle finish. Aged up to six months in stainless steel with minimal intervention, the Verdejo resembles a French sauvignon blanc, such as a Loire Valley Sancerre. This wine stands out in not only the fact that it's a white wine in a region that primarily produces reds, but also that it’s the only selection among the wines sampled to feature a single varietal-Verdejo. While over two-thirds of the vine planted here are dedicated to reds, we took a different approach and started off with a white.įriend & Farmer Verdejo - (La Mancha, Spain) In this class, we tasted wines from the Castilla/La Mancha, Navarra, and Rioja regions.Ĭastilla/La Mancha is located in central Spain, just south and east of Madrid over a high plateau of flat vineyards that covers more ground than all of Australia’s vineyards combined. Spain’s territory is also notable for its atmospheric variety, from the hot and dry southern coast along the Mediterranean sea, to the cooler climates of its northern Atlantic-facing mountains. While historically known as a producer of sherry, its winemaking prowess remained relatively unknown to the outside world until the second half of the 19th century after French expertise and technology migrated to the area following the phylloxera aphid blight that destroyed all of Europe's wine crops.Īlthough warmer than its French neighbor, the heat is offset by elevations about 1,000 feet higher, which helps the wine maintain both acidity and freshness. Due to the warmer weather and dry soil, vines there need to be planted further apart, resulting in more than 3 million acres under vine. Spain is the world’s third largest wine producer and boasts the largest grape acreage in the world. So during this two-hour tour of the Iberian Peninsula, the focus was on the regions, the blending, and the winemaking technology to guide our way.Ĭourtesy of Wine Folly Start with the vast acreage of Spain Keeping track of all those names can be a daunting challenge to even the most experienced wine aficionado. Instead, they create exciting and inventive blends of sometimes up to six (or more!) grapes. Both countries on the Iberian peninsula developed largely independently of the more fashionable wine region neighbors of France and Italy, and therefore grow and use grapes less familiar to the everyday wine drinker. Tasting the wines of Spain and Portugal make this point abundantly clear. But equally, if not more important, to the enjoyment of wine is the region (appellation) and winemaking process… in this case, the blend of grapes used to make each vintage. That’s the biggest lesson coming out of the Uncorked Kitchen & Wine Bar’s wine tasting class “Wines of Spain & Portugal.”įor many wine drinkers, particularly beginners just learning their way around, recognizing the kind of grape used in making wine tends to be the first focus.
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