Spain has been gracious enough to gift us a great deal over the years, from stunning art and architecture to spices, dishes and the general concept of tapas.
The country’s winemaking pedigree is no less important nor impressive, with the Iberian peninsula’s vinicultural fruits describing some of the most thrilling wines in a global industry.
More than Rioja
Spain’s biggest vinaceous export is, of course, Rioja. This regional produce, protected in much the same way as Champagne or Burgundy, has come to define Spain’s winemaking presence – bold, fruity flavours imbued with the character of the region’s soils and ageing conventions. “A lot of people are drawn to familiar regions such as Rioja”, says Laura Kent, Owner and Head Tutor of Yorkshire Wine School, “but off the beaten track there is so much more to Spanish wine.”
What makes a Spanish wine?
La Rioja is but one winemaking region in a country suffused with vinicultural talent – and Spanish wine is a much broader church than the traditional mostly-Tempranillo wines hailing from La Rioja. “Wines from Spain are a unique blend of Mediterranean grape varieties such as Tempranillo, Garnacha, Carinena and Monastrell”, says Kent, “alongside winemaking techniques which have been influenced by France (such as the use of French barrels), but also Spanish colonial history.”
As well as the grapes, Spanish wines are naturally – and greatly – informed by geography. Kent continues, “[Spain’s] warm climate ensures that grapes ripen fully and express rich fruit flavours. But with so many regions impacted by cool mountain air (Spain is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe), many wines retain a freshness and elegance.”
What should you look for in Spanish wine?
This paints a tantalising picture of Spain’s wine landscape, but learning how to navigate that landscape is another thing entirely. With so many luminary wines leaving Spain, what should you be looking for in today’s market? Laura Kent has some expert insights:
“The Atlantic North West, including Galicia and the Basque Country are leading the charge with white varieties, ancient grapes such as Treixadura, Hondarrabi Zuri and Godello are all producing mineral-filled whites with plenty of citrus zing to please any Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio drinker. They are a mouthful in more ways than one!
“Old vine Garnacha from central Spain, especially its home in Aragon, but also now high in the Sierra de Gredos close to Madrid, are exceptionally exciting at the moment. Many of these vineyards are over 50 years old, and the fruit has great depth of flavour including floral notes of violet and rose.”
Best Spanish wines to buy at a glance
- Best overall: Ramon do Casar Treixadura 2021 - £14.99 (with subscription), Naked Wines
- Best red: Secreto Ribera del Duero 2020 - £19, The Wine Society
- Best for old-vine complexity: Herència Altés La Pilosa 2018 - £14.99 (with subscription), Naked Wines
- Best for fresh seafood: Ethereo Albariño 2022 - £13.99 (with subscription), Naked Wines
- Best for ethical consumption: Coral de Penascal Ethical Organic Rose - £11.50, Ocado
- Best for spicy dishes: Sainsbury's Vinedos Barrihuelo Rioja Crianza, Taste the Difference - £8.50, Sainsbury’s
- Best for fans of tart wine: Mar De Frades Albariño 2023 - £17, Tesco
- Best for versatile drinking: Ramón Bilbao Limite Sur 2020 - £18.81, Vivino
- Best for introducing yourself to Gran Reserva Rioja: Altos de Bergasa Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 - £19.99, Laithwaites
- Best for designated drivers: Torres Natureo De-Alcoholised Muscat, - £6.30, Waitrose Cellar
Ramon do Casar Treixadura 2021
Best: overall
Ramon do Casar is a young and vibrant vineyard in the Spanish Denominación de Origen (D.O.) Ribeiro, started in 2000 by the eponymous Ramon Gonzalez, and carried on by his son Javier. His efforts with this white were designed to put the ancient Treixadura grape firmly back on the map.
The nose is smooth and inviting, proffering juicy and vibrant lashes of fresh-cut pale fruits; peach flesh and spring flowers wrap around apricot stone and pear. The nose is airy and bright at first but deepens with an almost balsamic backbone.
The Treixadura 2021 is just as airy and fresh at first sip, with a developed acidity sneaking past those initial bursts of apricot and pear. Sweetness runs through the palate, from luscious fructose at the start to a gomme-ish slickness in the finish – after which you are left with a rich, zingy lemon slice and grapefruit oil.
The Treixadura 2021 is a robust and rewarding Galician white, and one which has temporarily upended this writer’s predilection for reds. It is an ideal summer glass, and will hold its own against even the creamiest of Spanish sauces; drink with creamy paprika chicken, or with chilli prawns, or on its own immediately after it arrives at your door.
Buy now £14.99, Naked Wines
Secreto Ribera del Duero 2020
Best: red
Ribera del Duero is a protected D.O. in Spain’s northerly reaches, and one which is often compared to Rioja regarding its ageing conventions and qualities. The Secreto, from the Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos family of wineries, uses Ribera del Duero’s limestone-rich terroir gainfully, to cultivate old-vine Tempranillo in service of an elegant barrel-aged red: the Secreto 2020.
The Secreto pours darkly and smells just as plump and thick as it looks in the glass. The deep, compote-like notes of the nose leap from the glass, and burying your nose back in the glass puts you in touch with thrilling herb notes – mint, thyme, and the healthy hedges near which they grow. The 12 months this wine spent on oak have provided a honeyed cacao base, and its years in the bottle have brought its sweetness under rounded control.
While the nose indicates jammy sweetness, there is little to be found when sipped. Rather, the Secreto is a dry affair, which starts with a shot of tartness and tannin before dissolving in the mouth and leaving a herbaceous final impression. There’s cherry, chocolate and wood, but none cloy or clamour for precedence.
The Secreto is ultimately a surprisingly quaffable wine with a swift finish, and one which benefits from spending time in a decanter first. Drink this with a light tomato starter, or as a daring post-lunch glass.
Buy now £19.00, The Wine Society
Herència Altés La Pilosa 2018
Best for: old-vine complexity
Herència Altés’ La Pilosa 2018 is a stunning example of what old-vine red wine can be, being 100 per cent Garnatxa Peluda – an uncommon vine named for its hairy water-retentive leaves. The vine thrives in Herència Altés’ Terra Alta vineyards; family plots that host old vines with character.
The La Pilosa 2018 cuts a beautifully bright and transparent form in the glass, with a clear red that belies the deeper scents and flavours held within. First impressions of the nose are of roundedness and comfort, as a wet-oak base sets the stage for richer roasted notes – hazelnut and cocoa, in particular. This makeshift praline becomes a sweet chocolate ganache before long, drizzled over berries and cherries. With time, berries on the nose ripen to further sweetness.
The La Pilosa is brighter on the palate than its deep nose initially suggests, with partial thanks to a thin and slick mouthfeel. The first impression is sharp, with cacao nibs and foraged berries bringing tartness and tightness. A backbone of roots and black-pepper warmth holds airier, herbier notes – parsley and lovage combining with oak, and, with time, a slight evocation of smoke. True to the name, the finish is a hairy one: tannic and mineralic after a complex journey of flavours.
Buy now £14.99, Naked Wines
Ethereo Albariño 2022
Best for: fresh seafood
This Naked Wines exclusive is an all-rounder of an Albariño, courtesy of winemaker Jorge Hervella. It is a D.O. Rias Biaxas, a coastal aspect of south-west Galicia and a powerhouse of viniculture for the Albariño grape – thanks to its moist, sea-breezed climate.
The Ethereo is a notably smooth-scented white, with a light, airy and yet buttercream-y nose. The first top note is one of pear-skin, before honeysuckle and lemon zest peek their respective heads over. Nothing grabs at the nose, though, making for a delicate and friendly first impression.
On the palate, the Ethereo is immediately and momentarily effervescent, quickly calming to a rounded, full and yet light overall body. As to be expected from the Albariño grapes, there’s a crispness here, but the Ethereo is more so defined by the pat of butter at the centre of its flavour profile. The butter carries pear and floral highs, but the finish brings some of that Galician sea breeze to the fore with a subtle kick of sea salt (with a little time to air, some cracked black pepper enhances the seasoned nature of the finish).
The lush finish melts on the tongue like well-buttered toast, and the Ethereo leaves a similarly pleasant impression. It is lightness and subtlety, and extremely well balanced; share over fresh seafood, and remark at how quickly the bottle depletes.
Buy now £13.99, Naked Wines
Coral de Peñascal Ethical Organic Rosé
Best for: ethical consumption
Bodegas Peñascal has made an especial name for in sparkling wines, with a strong roster of accessible bottles that now include even more accessible low-alcohol alternatives. The Coral is another impressive vintage, and not in the least due to its green credentials; its Tempranillo grapes are sourced from a carbon-neutral winery, its lightweight bottles reduce transport-related CO2 emissions, and 10 per cent of its profits go towards the restoration of coral reefs.
All the better, then, that the Coral de Peñascal is such an enjoyable glass. The nose is clean and sweet, tending towards paler fruits and meadow flowers as opposed to summer berries. It is also so light that it tends towards the fleeting – leaving sweeter elements to make the biggest impression.
The palate is far richer and far more immediate, staking its claim with bold brushes of tart grapefruit and over-ripe redcurrant. The sharper elements of this initial impression subside quickly, but the finish is nonetheless long and citric, carrying stone-fruit and summer raspberry to a clean and sweet end.
This is an invigorating rosé with an intensely summery flavour profile. Its tarter moments suit it well for sushi, but it could also hold its own against a peppery guacamole dish.
Buy now £11.50, Ocado
Sainsbury's Vinedos Barrihuelo Rioja Crianza, Taste the Difference
Best for: spicy dishes
Here, an entry from Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference range – which, in wine terms, is far from the ‘own-brand’ reputation it unfairly receives. This wine is proof, too, being an expertly-sourced Rioja Crianza from Bodegas Muriel. Crianzas earn the name from being aged for at least 2 years; Rioja crianzas, though, are required to spend at least one of those years resting in oak in order to be named so. The Vinedos Barrihuelo is indeed aged in oak for a year before bottling – oak which adds to the richness and complexity of an otherwise fruit-laden nose and palate.
The nose on this Crianza is chock-full of cherries and berries. It also displays some dark chocolate notes, leading you down the path of the cherry liqueur before herbaceous top notes bring you back around – herby notes ranging from nettle to dill, by way of hedgerow floor. Speaking of floors, the oak brings a pleasant floorboard mustiness, which hides behind sweeter brown sugars.
On the palate, the Vinedos Barrihuelo is tight, tart, tannic and a tad spicy – though it doesn’t possess the jammy-thick mouthfeel, instead sitting lightly on the tongue. The tightness relaxes to an oaky warmth, via a medium finish that dries swiftly. We elected to drink this alongside a homemade hot and sour soup, and would heartily encourage you to do the same.
Buy now £8.50, Sainsbury's
Mar De Frades Albariño 2023
Best for: fans of tart wine
This D.O. Rias Biaxas Albariño hails from Mar De Frades, a relatively young winery that hitches itself to the Atlantic Ocean in many ways, from core ethos to the striking shade of its elongated bottle. The contents are as sprightly as the bottle’s source.
The Mar De Frades Albariño 2023 is an extremely forthright white, with a powerful nose straight out of the pour. Peach! Lots of peach, skin and fuzz included, served alongside passionfruit, apricot, mandarin and with the subtlest redcurrant garnish. There’s an ever-so-slight briny element, too, where the top notes of the nose suggest verdant, seaside earth – setting off well against the tart notes which deepen with time.
The palate is immediately and pinchingly tart, with generous hits of gooseberry, lemon-flesh and lime juice. There’s literal tart to be found if you go looking, too, with a curd-ish element supported by the vaguest hint of butter pastry. A salted ‘rim’ of flavour and a peach-skin finish pull these flavours to a harmonious close.
Tart, sharp and bright, the Mar De Frades Albariño 2023 is a bracing white with a lot to say. It would taste phenomenal against spicy seafood.
Buy now £17.99, Tesco
Ramón Bilbao Limite Sur 2020
Best for: versatile drinking
Ramón Bilbao is a huge name in Spanish wine. It’s one of the largest wine producers with hectares across La Rioja and Rueda. As well as accessible Riojas, the winery produces a wide variety of intriguing bottles – amongst which you’ll find the Limite series, an annual exploration of forgotten grapes in the northern and southern reaches of La Rioja.
The Limite Sur 2020 is a Garnacha-focused red, and one which gives a heady first impression – with a berry-and-cherry-crumble nose that showcases a great deal of brown sugar. Some oaky complexity grows through, bringing leather, vanilla and the sweetness of butterscotch. This is a sweet treat of a Rioja, and a bright one to boot.
The first sip is juicy and rewarding, even though the Limite Sur tends towards the dry. Cherry juice and berry bush are carried by a hint of boozy tightness, and lead to a sultry black-fruit truffle – with large thanks to the careful, low-temperature fermentation of the grape.
The finish is medium-length, and one which tarts up quickly; the Limite Sur spends 12 months in third-use barriques, which imbues warmth and developed colour to the lip-smacking aftertaste. The Limite Sur rewards your return to the glass with fresh juice and spice.
This is a difficult red to place, meal-wise. It is at once bright and deep, full-bodied and brief – so consider it an all-rounder, and a great between-courses glass.
Buy now £18.81, Vivino
Altos de Bergasa Gran Reserva Rioja 2016
Best for: introducing yourself to Gran Reserva Rioja
Bodegas La Eralta is a family affair, and a young one as far as La Rioja wineries go. Though young, its vineyards are vast, and its output commendable. The Altos de Bergasa Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 shows that good ageing can come from even the youngest of places, bringing out the best from its well-cultivated Tempranillo grapes.
Gran Reserva Riojas are so named for the two years minimum they must spend in oak; they must also rest for a further three in-bottle before they can be sold. This Gran Reserva is an excellent showcase of this ageing in action, with a rich nose thick with tobacco leaves and macerated red-fruit.
The palate is smooth and deep, with those same red-fruits softening on the tongue before warming spaces take precedence. The finish is rich in vanilla and mace, and enjoyably long to boot. The richness and complexity of this Gran Reserva is deserving of a rich meal; chimichurri or jambalaya would work well against this feast of a glass.
Buy now £19.99, Laithwaites
Torres Natureo De-Alcoholised Muscat
Best for: designated drivers
Alcohol-free beverages are enjoying a great deal more popularity than they once were, and the number of available alcohol-free products has skyrocketed in response to such quick-growing demand. However, while new low-abv beers and spirit alternatives continue to find their way onto shelves, the alcohol-free wine industry still feels to be in its infancy.
A welcome boon, then, to come across a de-alcoholised wine that more closely resembles its conventional counterparts than other wine-adjacent booze-free beverages. The Torres Natureo De-Alcoholised Muscat is actually one of the earlier entries in the field, but all the more innovative for being so.
This is a muscatel wine, made as normal at a Familia Torres vineyard before undergoing a physical process to remove the alcohol content from the finished liquid. Removing the alcohol does remove something of a wine’s essential character, but the Natureo Muscat retains brightness, tartness and dryness in spite of its processing.
This is a more-than-serviceable alcohol-free alternative for the designated driver, particularly when chilled below its recommended serving temperature. Drink, naturally, with seafood.
Buy now £6.30, Waitrose Cellar
Verdict: Amidst a sea of incredible Spanish wines, choosing the best was always going to be difficult. The Secreto Ribera Del Duero 2020 is a fantastic red with a complex nose and intriguing finish, well worth experiencing over or after lunch.
However, we were ultimately bowled over by the subtle complexity of the Ramon do Casar Treixadura 2021, a lush white that shows off the best of Spain’s ancient grapes – and a huge concession for a usual fan of red wines.
