YOUNG WINES

Young wines are exceptional for the summer and for enjoying both outdoors and at home. Do you know how they differ from Crianza and Reserva wines, and what is best to accompany them with? At Consum we are going to explain to you what each one of them is like, to differentiate them, pair them and the tricks to make them even more delicious.

young wiNes

Young wines are those that have not been in contact with wood, either by remaining in barrels - generally oak - or by using chips, which are wood shavings that are "infused" into the wine in order to give it the aromas, - the ageing -, in much less time. The result is similar, but far from the same.

It should be noted that wine is wine before it is put into a barrel, so we must avoid thinking that a young wine is "a wine without a barrel", but rather the opposite. Oxidative ageing (the name given to it because the air passes through the pores of the barrel) is used mainly for most red wines, and to a lesser extent for white, rosé, and sparkling wines.

A young wine plainly expresses the characteristics of the variety of the grape it comes from, the aromas of fruit and flowers predominate, the colour tends to be more vivid, and it has a greater freshness drunk. 

It is preferable to serve them a little cooler than Crianza or Reserva wines (twenty minutes in the fridge before drinking is enough). They can accompany appetizers and starters due to their temperature and lightness, and they more easily accept typical summer combinations, such as our famous Sangria.

Tip: to make Sangria, macerate the fruit in the wine for an hour, and then add the sugar, soft drinks and finally the ice. It is also delicious when made with Cava; it is even more refreshing!

WHITE AND RED WINES

One of the grape varieties that is almost always used to make a young wine is Albariño - generally Galician - so that it retains its sharp acidity that so characterises it so much, and so that its subtle and fragrant aromatic profile remains intact. A great example is Depende from the Rías Baixas D.O. 

Verdejo, glorious in the Rueda D.O., accepts both types of productions perfectly and is ideal to compare wines with and without barrel. If you want to learn and enjoy, get two wines from the same winery or at least from the same variety - one young wine such as the Protos Verdejo, and another that has been fermented in the barrel -, serve them at the same time in two glasses, first smell the young wine several times, and quickly change to the F.B., you will perfectly notice what aromas ageing brings. Then, do the same when you drink it, and you will realise how much fresher and lighter the young wine is, and how the other has a creamier texture. 

This "game" can also be played with red wines by choosing one young wine, another with four or six months in the barrel, and one with the longest ageing. Remember to use the same variety and you can do it with wines from the Ribera del Duero D.O., purchasing for example Emilio Moro’s Finca Resalso in your selection.

rosé wines and cavas

Rosé wines are usually young, such as Marqués de Riscal, which is a benchmark in terms of Provençal-style rosé wines (pale in colour and similar to onion skin). It is worth noting that over the last fifteen years the quality of rosé wines in general has increased by leaps and bounds, becoming one of the best options, especially for the summer.

Cavas are a completely different world, as most of them are young even though the word "Reserva" appears. This does not mean that the wine has spent time in the barrel, but that it has spent at least fifteen months with the yeasts that created its bubbles. That is why you will not find tertiary (wood) hints in them, but you will find a fine, well-integrated bubble, and aromas of pastries and bakery. One of the best of our winery is the classic Juvé & Camps Reserva de la Familia. 

There is no doubt that young wines are ideal for combating the heat and enjoying them at home from the moment you start preparing your meal.