The Best Spanish Wine:
Cava
Cava iThe Best Spanish Wine. Learn more about the wonderful world of Spanish wines Similar to champagne, cava goes through a second fermentation process that gives it it’s bubbles. It makes an excellent and affordable celebratory beverage.
The Best Spanish Wine: Most of the vineyards that produce cava wines are located in the northeastern part of Spain, near Barcelona. When visiting Barcelona, San Sebastian, or Bilbao you may wish to visit a cava vineyard and sample the different “Brut or Semi-Seco” (dry and semi-sweet, respectively) varieties. What a fun way to get a little bit of countryside in, after visiting the cities!
Spanish Reds
The Best Spanish Wine: Anyone looking to experience Spanish wines will encounter a few bottles of tempranillo. This rich, ruby-red wine is the most abundantly produced type of red Spanish wine and can be found labeled as tempranillo, Tinto de Toro, Cencibel, Tinto del Pais, among others. It makes for excellent table wines and pairs with lots of local dishes.
There are two major growing regions for red Spanish wines: Rioja and Ribera del Duero.
Rioja is a region located in the central, northern part of the country. The flavor profiles from the grapes grown in this area tend to be somewhat neutral, which makes them an excellent wine to use in blends. Located on the Ebro River, Rioja is a popular place to visit when connecting the dots between Madrid and Barcelona. It’s possible to tour and taste at the vineyards, for an unforgettable and romantic Spanish experience!
Ribera del Duero is located only a couple of hours away from Rioja, but the wine produced here is considered superior. Since the aging process for these tempranillo‘s includes oak barrels, the flavors are more complex and these wines are rarely if ever, used in blends. Bottles from Ribera del Duero can come at a higher cost, but the overall experience will be worth the investment!
