SPANISH WINES
An overview of Spanish wine and the future
Spain is the third largest wine producer in the world, but out of a total of 53 regions which have a Denominación de Origen classification (DO/AC), only a very few are everyday currency amongst wine drinkers. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be living in – or perhaps visiting – Spain, have easy access to a vast array of superb wines which, in many cases, never cross any frontier.
The majority of my correspondence indicates that the best-known wine regions are Rioja, Valdepeñas and Penedés.
Well, the first is understandable, the second often unpronounceable, and the third unsurprising. Rioja needs no introduction, above all for red wines, since the whites have justifiably fallen from favour in the face of competition from other regions, of which more later. Valdepeñas is actually quite small, while La Mancha, which surrounds the Valdepeñas zone, is the largest single wine-producing region in the world, but it is normal for the two to be confused. Penedés, in Calatuña, took over the white wine monopoly from Rioja on an international scale many years ago, and is currently in danger of being eclipsed by Rueda, above all in the lower price range.
How many readers prefer the heavier reds from Ribera del Duero to the Riojas? And what about the light and fruity wines of Galicia, the Albariños and Ribeiros? Have you ever tried Txacolí, the typical Basque wine made from the Hondarrabi Zuri grape, without which no marisquada is ever complete?
The best rosé wines may traditionally come from Navarra, but there is a region called Cigales, which has even better ones, although until recently they were known as clarete. Wines from Priorato were for centuries reserved almost exclusively for serving at mass, but now the region is the buzz word of the industry. Its tiny 800-hectare area has reputedly attracted the ‘whiz-kids of the wine trade’ (not my choice of phrase!).
Everything is changing, and up to this point only for the best. Spanish wines are still less expensive than their French, Italian or Californian counterparts, although how much longer this will last is anyone’s guess. Make the most of it while you can. The European Union is committed to bringing wine prices into line and the process has already begun. English wine-drinkers will benefit hugely, but here it will go the other way.
Certainly, the wine industry in Spain has changed enormously in the last twenty years. Prior to the 80s there were only two types of producer: the large family firm and the humble co-operative. The first had probably enjoyed up to a century to consolidate its position in the marketplace, and could usually afford the latest technology.
The co-operatives, on the other hand, which had been formed for the sole purpose of preventing farmers from having to sell their grapes to the local big wine-producer at prices which were on a take-it-or-leave-it basis, lived a precarious existence, and it was rare for income to be reinvested in new wine-making methods. Nor was there any need; the co-operatives supplied table wine to the local market, and, with few exceptions, rarely had pretensions beyond this.
However as demand for quality wine grew, and increased standards of living, marketing, or whatever, persuaded drinkers that instead of an unlabelled bottle of local wine they should be drinking a properly presented wine from a major producer, the co-operatives began facing problems they could not resolve. This was fine for the big family firms; they simply bought up the co-operatives which had not adapted themselves to changing demands. At the same time, they increased the area of vineyards under their direct control, an insurance policy, if ever there was one, against rising grape prices in the future.
New winemaking methods are now worldwide, of course. State-of-the-art hydraulic presses crush the grapes just enough to extract the juice without the accompanying tannin from the skins or stalks. Fermentation and ageing are universally carried out in stainless steel tanks, and in a not-too-distant future wooden barrels may only be used for show and for specialist wines.
Even in Jeréz, where the centuries-old solera system, which gives sherry such an even-quality and consists of physically moving younger wines progressively down from higher barrels to lower ones, is having steel tanks. The point is that they cost less per litre of wine stored, are easier to clean, take up much less space than the equivalent amount of wine in barrels and – here is the rub -–the end-product is as good as that produced using the traditional method.
The other great leap forward has been in the way wines are sold. No longer is it necessary to conduct a usually fruitless search on supermarket shelves to find a decent wine for that important dinner. Now you can go to a specialist wine shop where you will also receive advice if required. The concept of the British wine merchant never really caught on in continental Europe, but these new outlets are the next best thing. Many of them have customers’ clubs, publish newsletters, arrange visits to bodegas, and generally do a great deal to help promote quality wines.
So what about the wines to watch in the future?
If we limit ourselves to the ones we have written about, the ‘new’ Riojas should be carefully monitored. Above all don’t miss sampling Roda I (which you can do at Gorky, in Pablo Casals); although relatively pricey, it shows just what can be done when a perfectionist production policy is followed from type of soil and grape choice right through to the final product.
Martínez Bujanda’s Conde de Valdemar range should be a regular buy, since this is another Rioja made to the highest standards at a very pleasing price. The 1995 is a vintage described as mythical while the 1994 Reservas and Gran Reservas will keep for decades.
Turning to the Duero, we mentioned some time ago the miniscule winery of Pago de Carroviejas, and I am pleased to see that their wines are receiving an increased number of awards. Practically any of the wines from Arzuaga Navarro are worth buying, as is the Hacienda Monasterio range.
Anyone who reads this regularly will know of my affinity for the white Ruedas. A good place to start is the Marqués de Riscal made in the region, still priced reasonably. This wine is probably the best example of a perfect white Rueda.
For rosé lovers, Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe’s barrel-fermented rosado is about as good as you will ever get…….. and it does come from what is practically a local vineyard.
