Spanish Wines That Are Great Values
I always try to focus on wines that are good values, and now with the dramatic price increases on everything, the focus on wines that are good values seems more important than ever. Year after year, the wine regions of Spain have some of the best wines for the money.
Whether you enjoy the bold Tempranillo wines from the Rioja, or the bright crisp whites from the Rias Baixas, there are so many delicious wines to be found.
RIAS BAIXAS
Albariño are the best-known white wines from Spain, coming from the northwest region of Rias Baixas. Albariño is a refreshing coastal wine known to have rich stone flavors, bright acidity, and often a touch of salinity. The perfect white wine for summer!
PEDRALONGA SEREA ALBARIÑO – This biodynamic wine is 100% hand-harvested, it is fresh and lively, with minerals, salinity, and hints of citrus. This is a complex and age-worthy wine balanced by bracing acidity and rich minerality.
LA CANA ALBARIÑO – This is a fresh, bright, and zesty wine, with flavors of lime, nectarine, green apple, and stone fruit. This crisp juicy wine will go with just about any food.
Albariño wines can be paired with meat and all seafood – shellfish, mussels, clams, shrimp, scallops, lobster, and white fish.
RIOJA
Rioja is famous for its bold red wines, mainly made from the Tempranillo grape. There are three distinct wine regions of Rioja: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Oriental. From Rioja, you can find world-class collectible wines, as well as wines that are great values.
Generic labels require no aging and are typically ready to drink when young. Crianza wines require one year of oak aging and one year of bottle aging. Reserva wines are made in great vintages. They require three years of aging, 12 months oak. Gran Reserva wines are made in exceptional years, and require five years of aging.
OLIVIER RIVIERE RAYAS UVA – Olivier was born and raised in Bordeaux, France. He traveled to Spain to help convert a winery to biodynamics, and in 2006 started his own project. All Olivier’s sources are farmed organically with biodynamic practices. His Rayas Uva bottling is a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Graciano; it has great freshness and balance. It is young and fresh with juicy notes of berries and herbs, very enjoyable and easy to drink.
OLIVIER RIVIERE GABAZO – This delicious wine is also a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Graciano. It has great texture and balance, fine tannins and spice. This is a serious wine that drinks well now but has the potential to age beautifully.
SIERRA DE TOLONO – The mountains of Sierra de Tolono have perfect conditions for growing Tempranillo. The wines are harvested by hand, and are unfixed and unfiltered. From Wine Advocate: “Fresh and energetic, representing high altitude vineyards produced in a simple way. It has medium body with good freshness, clean berry flavors, vibrant minerality, and fine tannins.
NAVARRA
Overlapping part of Rioja is an area called Navarra. Navarra is a northeastern extension of Rioja influenced by the Pyrenees, the Atlantic, and the Ebro River, which gives the region great diversity. Tempranillo is the main red grape and the area is also known for Rosado wines made from Garnacha.
VINA ZORZAL ROSADO – This is 100% organic Garnacha, it is fresh and lively. A young, crisp, and exuberant rosado with floral aromas mixed with wild berries. Light and refreshing.
VINA ZORZAL GARNACHA – This juicy, certified-organic wine has red and dark fruit, and smoky minerality, fine tannins, with precision and elegance. Another great value!
VINA ZORZAL MALAYETO GARNACHA – One of the top values in all of Spain. Says Wine Advocate: “The palate is incredibly elegant, seamless, balanced, with fine tannins, great integration of oak, very good freshness. A wine of great finesse in its finest vintage to date.”
RIBERA DEL DUERO
Winemaking in this area goes back 20 years. Ribera’s main grape variety is Tempranillo, also known as Tinto Fino, well suited to the extreme climate, serving scorching summers and frigid winters. These are rich full-bodied wines with dark fruit and smoky flavors.
TORRES CELESTE CRIANZA – This 100% Tempranillo wine has a deep dark cherry color, with aromas of black fruit. It is velvety and flavorful with dark fruit flavors, smoke, and roasted coffee notes, fruit-filled and full-bodied.
CALATAYUD
The Calatayud region is in the north of Spain and is known for its bold red wines primarily made from Garnacha.
EVODIA GARNACHA – Made from 100% Garnacha, this wine is an amazing value! This is a killer value that delivers incredible Garnacha flair at a crazy good price. Kirsch, blackberry, acacia and violet give way to a seamlessly beautifully layered wine with fabulous tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish.
Spain continues to offer not only world-class wines, but wines of exceptional value. The wines continue to elevate their status year after year. The diversity is great, so there are wines to be enjoyed by every palate. These are exceptional wines for summer drinking.
Please drink responsibly!
