Spanish red wines: Do you know them all?

Eva Pizarro

Sommelier at Fierro restaurant and trainer at Tandem Gastronómico.

Today we are going to take a look at some of the least known red wine producing regions in Spain. Why not come join us?

We are going to start off in the most distant region, the Canary Islands: Did you know that these beautiful islands have a unique grape variety? Over 135 grape varieties comprise an exceptional heritage that not even phylloxera could destroy, owing to the unique geographical isolation of this region. That is why these islands, with their unique geography, volcanic soil and climate are a paradise of wines with their own personality.

Take note of this variety: LISTÁN NEGRO.

Moving on from one set of islands to another, we are now going to take a look at the Balearic Islands, where thousands of ancient amphoras lie at the bottom of the Mediterranean bearing witness to the wine trade by the Phoenicians and Romans. There are four designations of origin which are constantly being added to.

If you would like to discover these treasures for yourself, try the wines made from the native grape varieties: CALLET or MANTONEGRO.

We shall now move to mainland Spain. Did you know that in Galicia not only do they make their famous white wines? That's right, thanks to the awareness and dedication by some wine makers, Galicia is also home to some fresh, light, smooth red wines.

Don’t miss the wines made with: CAIÑO TINTO, MERENZAO, ESPADEIRO and SOUSON.

El Bierzo is perhaps one of the most promising regions today. Spanning a delimited zone, the wines from this area have the personality of each vineyard.

The best variety in this region is: MENCÍA

Moving further north, Asturias is one of my most pleasantly surprising discoveries in recent times. Impossibly small, steeply sloping vineyards making work with machinery very difficult. The future of this area involves recovering traditional grape varieties and finding their best versions.

A look to the future: VERDEJO NEGRO

The Basque Country has its own history. Did you know that apart from white wines under the Txacolí Designation of Origin, reds and sparkling wines are also produced there?

HONDARRIBI BELTZA: Light, fresh, highly fragrant red wines are made with these grapes.

A thousand years making wine, and today it is one of the most prestigious regions in our country. I’m talking about Priorat. This region produces some world famous wines, which are very strong and have their own potent identity, made from two grape varieties: CARIÑENA and GRENACHE.

Let's move further south now, and take a look at Madrid and its surrounding area. These are relatively new winemaking regions, but which in recent years have made some excellent red wines with grape varieties such as: GRENACHE, which is very versatile depending on the soil and cultivation in each area.

In Andalusia, apart from its traditional fortified and sweet wines, we can also find some reds. How about trying some made from the TINTILLA variety?

The Levante region is returning to its traditional varieties, try some of its wines made using BOBAL, FORCALLAT, GIRÓ, MANDÓ or ARCOS grapes.

Well, that's it for today. We’ve seen some emblematic red wines and others just waiting to be discovered. Spain has a wealth of grape varieties and qualities. Why not surprise yourself and others by discovering all our regions through a glass of wine.