Spanish finds
The best Spanish reds have some of the softest, most sublime and earthy flavors of any wines anywhere
By the age of 30, I had visited every major wine-producingregion in Spain and had, in general, fallen completely in love withSpanish flavors ― vinous and culinary. One whiff of thesavory aroma of paella cooking on the stove and there I am again, ayoung American in Spain, on a mission to find the greatest paellaand the greatest Spanish wines to go with it. Spain had been (andcontinues to be) the best-kept secret in Europe.
Taking paella as my inspiration again this month, I’ve givensome thought to what a wine lover should know about the wines ofSpain now: First, that the best reds have some of the softest, mostsublime and earthy flavors of any wines anywhere. That gentlenessis due in large part to the fact that Spanish wines are aged forcomparatively long periods of time in oak barrels ―especially reds from the two top regions, Rioja and Ribera delDuero. In both places, wines are made mainly from the red grapeTempranillo (called Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero).
Among the dozens of Spanish white wines, the two to know aboutare cava and Albariño. Cava, Spanish sparkling wine, is fresh,crisp, and wonderfully inexpensive. Spaniards don’t wait forspecial occasions; they drink it at the drop of a hat.Albariño is quickly gaining a cult following in the UnitedStates. Snappy, sassy, citrusy, and gingery, it’s an enchantingwhite wine, sensational with seafood.
