" ‘A prudent wine,’ he would say, ‘rather diffident and evasive, but quite prudent.’ Or, ‘A good-humoured wine, benevolent and cheerful - slightly obscene, perhaps, but none the less good-humoured.’ " Which brings us to our next point, when tasting new wines it is important to form your own vocabulary around the experience. Specifically when being introduced to new international wines; take Spain for instance.
Spain produces over 400 different types of grape varieties native to the land, guaranteeing an abundance of new flavours to catalogue and name. Despite the diversity of the grapes, Spain is largely known for the following four wines: Rioja, Sherry, Cava and a number of intricate blends. We feel the main thing to take away from Spanish wines is the predominance of very strong red grapes, like Tempranillo and Garnacha. These varieties lend themselves to ageing, which also means that a lot of Spanish wines are sold already aged, in oak and in the bottle. The ageing of Spanish wines is a well established practice with a scale of ageing designations. The term ‘Crianza’ refers to wines that are aged for 2 years with at least 6 months in oak, and quite literally refers to the 'education' of the wine. ‘Reserva’ designates 3 years of ageing with at least 1 year in oak and ‘Gran Reserva’ is used for above average vintages, aged for 5 years at least, with 18 months in oak and 36 months in the bottle. Making these wines perfect for the cellar-less or impatient wine enthusiast.
*Do note that white and rosé wines typically have different timings related to their ageing process.
In summary then we would suggest the following vocabulary when attempting to describe your Spanish wines to a novice: Possessing of the spirit of a Conquistador; reminiscent of the daydreams of Don Quixote de la Mancha; as if mirroring the innovation of the Spanish crown during the Age of Discovery or a hint of the Roman Empire on the tongue. With such grand history to draw from, we invite you to discover Spain’s best and have put together a selection for you to choose from in anticipation.
Read the short story here.
