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Over the last few decades, Spanish wines have come into their own in terms
of quality, and now stand shoulder to shoulder with many of the French
wines that form the world's vanguard (and surpassing in quality most
California and New Zealand varieties). Sadly, this effort has gone largely
unrecognized outside of Spain, and by American consumers.
Modern enological doctrine has slowly but surely sunk into the fabric
of wine-production on the Iberian Peninsula, introducing into it such
concepts as effective harvest control, care for the fruit's primary
aromas, structure in the bodegas (wineries), and meticulousness in
the production procedures. The results are there for all to see, or
rather, taste. There are interesting cavas (Spanish sparkling wine)
in Navarra; aromatic white wines springing up in Castile and rising from
the volcanic ashes of the Canary Islands; fruity rosés in Jumilla; and
some remarkable reds from the Somontano region in Aragón, to give just a
few examples.
The main appeal of the Spanish wines on the foreign market is their
amazing price/quality ratio. You'll often find the "excellent
value" sections of specialized magazines filled up with Spanish
wines. This initial advantage shouldn't, however, overshadow the broader
commercial potential of other unique (non-bargain) wines.
To the Spanish Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, originally
inspired by vines brought from Médoc and Burgundy, we have to add the
traditional names of outstanding Spanish grape varieties, such as
Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Albariño, and some other lesser-known ones,
which are enriching today's quality Spanish wines. The Palomino grape,
omnipresent in the Jeréz region, is like no other variety when it comes
to producing finos and amontillados (varieties of "sherries").
The Pedro Ximenex grape, which in Jerez is used only for sweet wines, is
the main variety in Montilla, occupying no less than 70% of the vineyards
there.
The most-used varieties for cava - Macabeo, Xarello and Parellada - are
harvested in that order. The Macabeo grape grows in tight clusters and has
a fine skin, which gives the must a delicate color and provides light,
fragrant aromas. The Xarello, which is called Pansa Blanca in the coastal
area of Alella, gives strength and substance. The Parellada balances the
wine with elegance, lending its pale, greenish-toned color to a fine must,
and with delicate polleny aromas. The Verdejo, typical of the Rueda
region, is pale straw in color and is captivating because of its delicate
anise and hay aromas. A characteristic bitter accent adds elegance to this
white grape's overall quality.
A lot has been said about the presumed Central European origins of
Galicia's autochtonous grape varieties, such as Albariño, Treixadura,
Lado, and Loureiro. The Albariño is a small grape which doesn't give as
much juice as others: this is the secret of its concentration and density,
similar properties to those of the Godello de Valdeorras. In the Ribeiro
area, the Lado grape is as subtle as it is scarce. The Torrentés has
great aromatic strength, very good intensity and a vanilla tang against a
bitter ground. The Treixadura, on the other hand, seeks the sunnier
slopes, which favour the development of its delicate and fragile, fruity
and floral aromas.
The similarities between the Mencía grape in León - planted on the
Camino de Santiago itself - and the Cabernet Franc and Portuguese Prieto
Picudo have already been noted. The Mencía offers hope for maturing red
wines in wood without the problem of rapid oxidation encountered in other
Iberian varieties.
The Tempranillo grape, characteristic of Rioja, is the noblest of the
Spanish red grapes. It lends elegance, aroma concentration and complexity
of flavour to the wines. The Tempranillo is the safeguard for aging wines
successfully. There are some other equally typical varieties sharing the
Riojan landscape: the almost-disappeared Graciano, with its fruity taste;
the Mazuelo or Cariñena, which produces strongly-colored, tannic wines;
or the Garnacha, which supplies body, acidity and degrees of alcohol. It
was with the Garnacha grape that vineyards were replanted after the
phylloxera disaster at the beginning of the century.
The Tinto Fino, or Tinta del País, from the Ribera del Duero region,
is a close relation to the Tempranillo. Most of the wineries in this area
base their quality strategy on this noble variety's immense range of
possibilities.
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