First, some statistics that will show us the complexity of the issue.
So, Spain is the country with the largest number of vineyards on the planet. 15% of all the world's vineyards are located here. Spain ranks third in the world in wine production, behind only France and Italy. In Spain there are more than a hundred certified wine regions, in which several tens of thousands of wine producers produce hundreds of thousands of brands of this drink. And how can you figure out all this diversity, how to choose exactly what will give you pleasure personally, while still leaving some money in your wallet for a snack? Here's some information that should help you with this.
General facts
Spain produces white, red and rosé wines, but it is Spanish red wines that are considered some of the best in the world. They are generally quite dense, aromatic, full-bodied, with a balance of fruit and oak notes.
You won't actually find semi-dry or semi-sweet wines in Spain. Almost all wines are dry by default, with the exception of dessert wines (Vino de postre, vino dulce, vino de licor), which, on the contrary, are very sweet. Nothing in between. By the way, sweet wines in Spain are very good, especially if you drink them wisely: after lunch or dinner, in small quantities with dessert.
Most Spanish supermarkets stock only products from large manufacturers in the low and medium price categories. For good wines from small family wineries, you either need to go to a specialty store (enoteca) or go directly to the winery.
When choosing wine in a supermarket, you can start from the price tag. In the price category of 2-4 euros they sell simple table wines, which you can easily wash down with lunch without expecting anything special from them; 5-10 euros is the range for “dinner” wine of higher quality; from 10 euros onwards wines begin, which you can already taste and look for different notes and shades of taste and aroma.
Classification of Spanish wines. What to look for on the label?
When buying wine, try to give priority to the one that has magical abbreviations on the label DO or DOCа (DOQ). This indicates that the wine was made in one of the regions with certified confirmation of quality and origin. There are exactly two regions with the highest DOC certification (DOQ) - Rioja and Priorat.
If you prefer aged wines, look for the words Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva, these indicate that the wine has spent anywhere from 6 months to a year and a half or more in a barrel.
Main wine producing areas of Spain
Rioja (DOCa RIOJA)
Wines from Rioja are perhaps the most famous Spanish wines both within the country and abroad. The main pride of Rioja is its aged red wines made from the Tempranillo grape variety. Rioja can be found in a large assortment in any supermarket in Spain, prices start from 2 euros per bottle, and for 6-8 euros you can buy quite good wine.
Priorat (DOQ PRIORAT)
A wine-growing region in Catalonia, which in recent years has literally burst into the world elite. Here, too, they make mostly red wines, but of a completely different type than in Rioja - more tart and rich, with character, not over-aged in the barrel and retaining a powerful fruity aroma. Exactly at Priory make the most iconic wines of Spain - for example, Ermita Alvaro Palacios (L "Ermita, from 1000 euros per bottle). The two main grape varieties are Garnatxa and Carinyena.
A good budget alternative to wines from Priorat can be products from a neighboring region DO MONTSANT, which was recently recognized as the best in Spain in terms of price-quality ratio.
Ribera del Duero (DO RIBERA DEL DUERO)
Another region famous for its red wines. Although Ribera does not have DOCa status, in a number of indicators the region is superior to the more titled Rioja. The family silver of Ribera del Duero is the bodega Vega Sicilia, which is one of the legends of Spanish winemaking.
Kava (DO CAVA)
The famous Catalan champagne, produced almost entirely in the region Penedes near Barcelona. The traditional Champanoise method, combined with local soils and climate conditions, have made Cava the most exported sparkling wine in the world. The main reason is the price: cava is several times cheaper than champagne of similar quality from France.
Sherry (DO JEREZ)
A cult fortified wine produced in the very south of Spain, in Andalusia.
Albariño, DO RIAS BAIXAS
For lovers of white wines, we recommend products from this particular Galician region made from the Albariño grape variety. Fresh, fruity wines with floral notes are the perfect drink for a hot Spanish summer day.
In addition to the appellations listed above, in Barcelona you can find wines from Catalan wine regions such as Terra Alta (DO TERRA ALTA), Costers del Segre (DO COSTERS DEL SEGRE), Ampurdan (DO EMPORDÀ)- all of them are also worth tasting on occasion.
Finally, we would like to note that Sangria, which many also consider to be a type of wine, is not one - it is rather a wine cocktail made from table wine infused with fruit with the addition of sugar, lemonade and strong alcohol.
A great way to get closer to the world of winemaking and feel its unique atmosphere is to visit a small family winery in one of the wine regions of Catalonia, where the owners themselves will show and tell you what and how good wine is made. Well, they’ll give you a try, of course! Details here.
Spain is much larger than Madrid and much more diverse than the southern Mediterranean beaches. Connoisseurs of Spanish national culture and seasonal tourism have long been in the habit of traveling to Spain in late autumn, when elite grape varieties ripen in the vast Catalan and Castilian grape fields, and wine cellars are filled with barrels of the precious drink.
Wine "accents" of Catalonia
The wines of Catalonia are not even completely Spanish, they are Catalan wines that have their own distinct “mood” and a noble, soft taste. When going on a tasting of Catalan wines, avoid the capital of the province, Barcelona, without regret: you can study it at any time, and it has little to do with a wine tour. All the best Catalan wineries ( butegs) are scattered in small towns of four regions of the province - Tarragona, Barcelona, Lleida And Gerona.
This is where you will find many old wineries with a 200-year history, producing 12 exclusive varieties of wine that cannot be found anywhere else. This:
- Alella;
- Ampurdan-Costa Brava;
- Cava;
- Catalunya;
- Conca de Barbera;
- Costers del Segre;
- Montsant;
- Penedes;
- Pla de Bages;
- Priorato;
- Tarragona;
- Terra Alta.
They are produced from the best varieties of Spanish grapes:
- Charello;
- Macabeo;
- Parillades;
- Ganchars;
- Cariñena;
- Tempranillo ;
- Chardonnay;
- Cabernet Sauvignon;
- Picpulya;
- Merlot;
- Malvasia.
Some wineries appeared here during the times of ancient Greece and the rule of Rome. So, for example, butegs Tarragona And Penedes Grape varieties that were popular more than 2 thousand years ago are still grown. Some Catalan wineries have Catholic monks of the Middle Ages to thank. For example, they still make their own wines using their technology. Conca de BarberaAndPriorato.
As in France, many of Catalonia's wineries are family-run businesses and date back over 200 years, blending French and Spanish roots and producing their wines according to ancient recipes developed by their distant ancestors. Most technical operations are carried out manually, and barrels of wine are “aged” in cellars for at least 3-5 years. Afterwards, they are carefully bottled, which are assigned serial numbers, and the wine is sent to the best restaurants and wine boutiques in the world. To get into such cellars for a tasting is truly a high honor and an indicator of trust in guests.
The proximity of France makes Catalan wines somewhat similar to the drinks of French Roussillon. However, the hot climate of Catalonia makes them softer and more aromatic. Of particular interest to real gourmets should be the young summer rosé wines of Costa Brava and Conca de Barbera, as well as the famous Spanish Cava- a very competitive analogue of French champagne with a refined taste. This wine is prepared using a completely unique technology (secondary fermentation, sediment extraction and blending).
The territory of Catalonia is not too large, and you can visit all the wineries in the province in 2 days. However, don’t expect to quickly become acquainted with all the brands - 12 bottles produce an incredible number of wines, and in order to try them all, you will need at least a year!
"Capital" of Catalan wine
Oddly enough, the wine capital of Catalonia is considered Penedes- a small town on the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by giant vineyards. The climate in this area is the mildest, and the sun shines here 360 days a year - so the vine grows at the speed of vines and bamboo. It is in Penedes that the Spanish variety of famous wine varieties “Cabernet”, “ Pinot Noir», « Sauvignon», « Chardonnay" And " Riesling”, which can compete with any vintage French wine and do not return from any wine exhibition without awards.
During antiquity, the Greeks and Babylonians began to develop a winemaking culture here, and many Roman senators were proud of their vineyards on Penedes, which the Roman historian Pliny once mentioned in his writings.
The rule of the Arabs for many centuries practically destroyed the wine-making culture of the Spanish south, but gave the world the art of distillation, on the basis of which the Spaniards began to produce their great brandy.
Penedes' reputation as a wine-producing paradise was restored by the aphid epidemic that struck France in the mid-19th century. Then it destroyed almost all grape plantations. Many French winemakers moved to Catalonia and began to create a wine business from scratch. By the end of the 80s. XIX century Spanish velvety wines made from the best Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties have once again thundered throughout Europe.
In Penedes you can thoroughly study the technology of preparing the famous Spanish “cava”. It goes through a secondary fermentation process in bottles. Cava was first prepared here in the late 80s. XIX century from Chardonnay grapes, which have taken root well in Catalonia. Young white wine was usually mixed and bottled, which were then stored in dark cellars from 9 months to 3-4 years, after which the sediment that accumulated at the neck of the bottle was removed and a secondary capping was carried out.
By the way, after the decline of the French Champagne plantations at the beginning of the 19th century. Sparkling wines of Spain successfully replaced champagne on the table of French kings. Since then, the French and Spanish have been in constant competition for the sparkling wine market, and Penedès has become the center of Spanish production of the best varieties of cava.
It is very important to understand what kind of wine you are offered to try. Spanish wines have a clear classification. If you are offered a bottle marked D.O. WITH.(Demonication de Origen Calificada) - this means that this is a wine from one of 12 exclusive Catalan brands of the highest category. Vintage wines of regional standard ( D.O.) are almost as good as elite brands, and wines with the brand Vino de Messa- These are mixed table wines from unqualified vineyards. Finally, Vino de la Tierra- these are original local wines that you will never find outside of Spain.
Any of the wines in this classification is a high-class wine that you may have never tried and are unlikely to try anywhere else in a similar environment and for such a price. The exception is perhaps Vino Comarsal- declassed brands of wines, considered “defective” by international standards due to poor harvests or non-compliance with production standards.
In any case, don’t be confused - wines in Catalonia are produced with respect for the consumer and in order to drink them!
better champagne than Spain
The Freixenet brand is the No. 1 brand in the world in terms of production of high-quality sparkling wines made using traditional methods.
Catalans are very proud of this champagne. And for good reason. This is what is worth trying in Spain. The cost of a bottle is from 5 euros.
A little history:
Freixenet - It is a 100% family-owned company founded by Francesc Sala i Farres under the name “Casa Sala” to produce and supply wines mainly to Barcelona and Latin America.
His son, Joan Sala i Tubella, continued the development of the business, but it was only in the third generation, when Dolores Sala married a large owner of wine estates, Pedro Ferrer i Bosch, that the company was renamed from “Casa Sola” to “Freixenet” - namely Pedro Ferrer was known by this nickname.
Under the Freixenet brand, high-quality sparkling wines began to be produced, which were very successful, which allowed the company to quickly conquer the Spanish market before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
After its completion, the fourth generation of owners, the Ferrer Sala brothers, give the company, under the strict leadership of José Ferrer Sala, an impetus to a new round of development, both in the field of production and distribution of finished products and marketing.
This strategy led Freyshenet to market leadership in the mid-1980s. Together with José Ferrer, an important role in the modernization of the company was played by its current president, José Luis Bonet Ferrer, the first representative of the fifth generation of Fraxenet.
Currently, this family business unites three generations, and representatives of the sixth already occupy a number of management positions in it.
Freychenet today is a group of wine companies that has its own wineries in six countries on three continents,
Champagne in Spain, the best brands of Spain, cava, Freixenet, catalonia, champagne
18 of them produce wines of the most prestigious categories of controlled geographical indications (D.O.)
Freyshenet has 22 trading platforms for distributing its brands on the global market. Produces 200 million bottles per year, annual turnover is 500 million euros,
A big advantage of the company is its special approach to the buyer. You can always find wonderful gift sets on sale. decorated quite elegantly. The champagne factory also organizes interesting excursions, during which you can see the entire process of making champagne (cava), taste 2-3 types of champagne and dine on a snow-white shady terrace. All this costs only 50 euros per person.
This year, Freychenet also began producing mini bottles with a capacity of 0.250 for a picnic, which contain a special cap that turns the festively decorated bottle into a glass.
official site www. freixenet.com/
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If you would like to book an excursion to Fraycenet with our help, our service is only 20 euros for organizing your holiday. If you wish. In order for us to also organize travel to this wonderful place for you, the transfer is paid separately. Options range from an economical car to organizing a champagne hot air balloon flight.
Details are in the Paid services section.
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The wine region of Tarragona is famous for its aromatic white wines, although it was once the other way around - sweet red wines were more popular. Everyone also knows that the best communion wines are produced here.
D.O. Tarragona is located in the southern part of the province of Tarragona. Vineyards grow along the entire coastline to the border with the province of Leida.
Regulatory Council
Avda. Cataluña
977217931
[email protected]
www.dotarragona.cat
Climate
The climate here is Mediterranean, but in the upper zones of the Ebro River valley it is more like a continental one. The annual precipitation ranges from 475 to 650 mm. The average annual temperature is 16°C. Frosts and snow are very rare here. Very dry summer.
The soil
The vineyards are located at an altitude of 200 to 1000 meters above sea level. Soil with a significant limestone content is most often alluvial.
Varieties of grapes
- White: Garnacha blanca, Macabeu, Malvasía, Moscatel de Alejandría, Subirat Parent, Parellada, Xarel lo, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc.
- Red: Garnacha, Samso o Cariñena, Sumoll, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot noir, Syrah
Tarragona Classico is a type of Tarragona liqueur wine, which is made from Garnacha grapes and aged in oak barrels for at least 12 years. The best red wines always contain more Tempranillo grapes (up to 100%), because this grape is very suitable for aging in oak barrels.
Production process
The grape harvest begins in the first week of September. The wine production process uses traditional technologies: first, the grapes are simmered in the sun, and then aged for 4 years in oak barrels. Tarragona Classico is a wine made from very ripe grapes that is aged until it reaches 17% alcohol. Sometimes the "solera" system is used.
More than 70% of the production is white wine with a pronounced Mediterranean taste, moderate degree, straw color and aromatic, tasty herbaceous aroma. Red wines have a rich texture, aromatic aroma and elegant, moderate acidity.
Bodega
DE MULLER
Camí Pedra Estela, 34
977 75 74 73
[email protected]
www.demuller.es
COOPERATIVA A.S.I. DE NULLES
Estacio s/n
977 602 125
[email protected]
www.casinulles.com
BODEGAS JOSEP M. BACH VOLTAS I FILLS
Joan Oliver, 16-24
977 330 054
[email protected]
www.unio.coop
Wine region Catalonia
The word "Catalonia" is first mentioned in official documents dating back to the 12th century; this was the name then given to the territory of the County of Barcelona, united with the Kingdom of Aragon, which much later, in turn, became part of Spain. It is curious that although separatist sentiments were almost always present in Catalonia, they received active development only starting from the 17th century, marked by numerous uprisings here. This trend continued later; this led to the fact that at the beginning of the twentieth century the Spanish government recognized Catalonia's right to autonomous governance, which was then liquidated by the Francoists and restored again in the late 70s.Currently, Catalonia is one of the most economically prosperous regions of Spain (by the way, it has been so throughout almost its entire history).
The capital of Catalonia is Barcelona, the second largest city in the country, rivaling Madrid in importance.
Catalonia includes four provinces - Tarragona, Gerona, Lleida, Barcelona. A little less than a quarter of the total population of Spain lives here (by the way, a significant part of the Catalans also “live” in France, on the territory of Roussillon). Local residents speak Catalan, a language similar to Spanish and French at the same time. Catalonia is mountains covered with oak and pine forests; these are the wonderful beaches of the Mediterranean Sea; these are numerous mountain rivers and lakes; these are ancient cities, ancient castles and monasteries. And finally, these are wonderful wines.
Catalans are proud of their rare work ethic and cultural proximity to Roussillon, their closest French neighbor. Winemakers in Catalunya, encouraged by the ready market in Barcelona, produce a greater variety of wines than any other Spanish region, and use a variety of terrain for viticulture. First of all, we should name a wine like Cava - a Spanish challenge to French champagne. 95% of this wine is produced in Catalonia. The raw material for Cava is grapes grown on the fertile (flat) lands around Sant Sadurhi d'Anoia, the wine capital of the Penedes region.
There are 12 controlled appellations of origin (DOs) in this region:
- Alella...
- Ampurdán-Costa Brava...
- Cava...
- Catalunya
- Conca de Barbera...
- Costers del Segre...
- Montsant
- Penedès...
- Pla de Bages (D.O. Plà de Bagés)...
- Priorat...
- Tarragona...
- Terra Alta...
Map:: Catalonia wine region
Wine region of Spain (Catalonia) - D.O. AleyaBEFORE. Alella is very close to Barcelona; this region is located almost in the suburbs of the capital, at the very beginning of the Costa Maresme tourist area. Active development is underway here, and winegrowers have to ...
Wine region of Spain (Catalonia) - D.O. Penedes
The wines of the region, which today has the status of D.O. Penedes was praised by ancient Roman historians, in particular Pliny. Throughout the Middle Ages, these wines, especially the red ones, were highly prized and were often described as the best wines in Spain. However