SPANISH WINE
If you decide to visit Spain, you will have to visit the Spanish wine making areas.
Cariñena WinesAnother Spanish sparkling wine is from the Cariñena area of Spain. This area underwent major development during the Middle Ages when the resident monks added to the areas used for cultivating grapes for the wines that were made here. This is what spurred the wines of this area to become as well known as they are today.From as early as the third century before Christ, when Cariñena was known as Carae, the Romans made a discovery of the earlier inhabitants. They had been mixing wine and another ingredient composed of honey and water which worked itself into an alcoholic mixture. So as you can see Spanish red wines have quite a history. Wine Making ProblemsAlthough the former wine producers have been modernized by cooperatives with all the technology of today when it comes to producing wine, the Cariñena winemakers are producing individual and unique wines. The vineyards of Cariñena are far spreading towards the Campo de Cariñena and the adjacent foothills.Weather is a factor with the cold northerly winds and the limited rainfall as well as the temperatures which can dip to below 20 degrees in the winter season. The soil is another factor due to the large amount of limestone and slate that is found in this area. Only 30 miles from Zaragosa, which is the provincial capital, Cariñena despite the pitfalls of the area is doing quite well in their endeavor to produce some of Spain’s finest wines. ValenciaThe area of Valencia has production zones which consist of 66 municipalities which are split into four sub-zones. The sub-zones have varying numbers of municipalities within them and they are the large producers of Spanish wine. The Province of Alicante is the only one with three metropolitan areas which designate it as a major wine making area.These exporting companies and the cooperatives within the zones supply the purchasing requirements of the major Spanish wines importers based abroad. The smaller and individually owned wineries are work hard to stay competitive. RiojaRioja is a very well known wine in Spain and if you visit a Spanish wine shop you will be sure to find this particular type of wine. The other well known types served in restaurants in Spain are Cune, Marques de Caceres and Berberana. Other Spanish red wines you should try if visiting Spain are Pesquera, Senorio de Nava and Vina Pedrosa. All the red wines as well as others are available in the shops in Spain.Some Great White 'Vinos de Mesa'It goes without saying that there are many great Spanish white wines. Generally, the white grape stock used for making wines come from the following areas: Alicante, Aragón, Castilla La Mancha, Cataluña, Córdoba, Madrid, Malaga, Murcia, Navarra, Rioja, Valencia and Valladolid.We like a number of table whites including Sketch 2006 (Galicia), which cost approximately €28; Marques de Vizhoja 2007 (Galicia), which cost between €4 & €5; and, the Caligo Vi de Boira 2005 (Cataluña), costing approximately €28; and, the Blanc Pescador Vino de Aguja (Cataluña), which cost between €3 & €4. Interesting FactThe practice of bottling wine was taught to the Spanish by the Romans. Using narrow necked jars made of clay (Amphoras), they marked the type of wine and the year it was bottled and stored it near the chimneys in their homes. Usually the bottles were stored on higher floors within the houses.Wine making today differs to how it was done in the past but the basic principles are the same. The age old practice that started thousand and thousands of years ago is still alive and well, just a little more modernized. Spanish wines and Spanish sparkling wines are still enjoyed the worldwide.
The SOLANA Trade Show DirectoryCheck here to see if there are any forthcoming Spanish wine fairs.Contact the SOLANA Wine TeamIf you would like to receive further details about our Spanish wines then please feel free to contact the SOLANA Wine Team. |
This is a must see for wine connoisseurs as well as those who just want to try their hand at wine tasting. Spanish red wines are one of the specialties in Ribera del Duero, which is home to the Vega Sicilia and Tinto Pesquera wines which are famous worldwide. However, their wine production is almost exclusively red wine from the Tempranillo grape.