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By Root 712 0

and again in 1993, the viticulture and winemaking changes that had taken place were dramatic. By all accounts, it is time for me to return, because the movement toward quality has reportedly continued on an exponential curve. You can certainly taste it in the wines. In my opinion, Spain is the wine source for the millennium—offering value, tradition, and innovation all rolled up into good-tasting vino with soul. For the wine lover who feels jaded by the homogeneity of many of the Big C’s (Chardonnay and Cabernet), or clobbered by their all-too-common heaviness, it’s great to have these wine styles that don’t have “me, too” written all over them.

There are two classic Spanish wine styles, some one-of-a-kind specialties, and some cheap-but-good choices that any wine lover needs to know about. And it is really quite easy, because you can memorize a few of the top winery names, and for the rest go with my “who’s who” roster of specialist Spanish wine importers.

SPAIN’S CLASICOS—RIOJA AND RIBERA DEL DUERO Spain’s top-quality wine appellation, called Denominacion de Origen (DO), compares to the AOC of France and, especially, the DOC(G) system of Italy, because the regulations emphasize barrel- and bottle-aging requirements.

Although there are more than sixty Spanish DOs, you can focus on just the two classics, Rioja (Ree-OH-hah) and Ribera del Duero (Ree-BEAR-uh dell DWAIR-oh). Both are known for their red wines, based on a grape called Tempranillo (Tem-pruh-NEE-oh) and blended with other grapes. In Rioja, these are Garnacha (Gahr-NAH-chuh, the Grenache of France), Mazuelo (Mah-SWEH-lo), and Graciano (Grah-see-AH-no). In Ribera del Duero, one winery, Vega Sicilia (VEH-guh Si-SEAL-yuh), is permitted to blend Cabernet Sauvignon with Tinto Finol (the local variant of Tempranillo) because they have a long tradition of doing so. There are three quality levels, with the amount of body, flavor intensity, and barrel and bottle aging increasing as you go up the ranks:

Crianza (Cree-AHN-zuh): soft, medium-bodied, a little spicy; good for everyday drinking (my house wine)

Reserva (Ruh-ZUHR-vuh): fuller, more complex, more concentrated

Gran Reserva (Grahn Ruh-ZUHR-vuh): intense; made only in the best years

The tradition of long aging in barrel and bottle means Gran Reservas are released already with a few years of development. This makes them good wines to try to see the effect of bottle aging on a red wine, as we did with the Amarone in Chapter 7. Rioja Gran Reserva, especially, will give you an excellent sense of the effect of age on color (it fades from a youthful purplish hue to rust and brick shades), aroma (it develops complex scents other than fruit, such as leather and spice), and texture (tannins become softer and more harmonious). They are often priced at a value compared to comparable-quality wines from better-known regions.

Although the grapes are the same and the regions not far apart, Ribera del Duero and the traditional Rioja style are different—Ribera the dark and powerful style to Rioja’s less intense profile, ranging from rustic to elegant. I have noticed, though, from many new Rioja wineries as well as some of the old guard, a “new style” Rioja red that is closer in style to Ribera del Duero. Fortunately, you can try it, and have it, both ways. To me, the restraint of old-style Rioja is great with simple meats (chicken, leg of lamb, pork loin) that let the wine’s subtlety show. But with bolder dishes, or a great Spanish Manchego cheese, the strapping “new style” is often better suited. Overall, I’d sum up the style of both as medium- to full-bodied, with similarities to Bordeaux due to the oak aging, but with a spiciness and rustic quality that is similar to Rhône wines due to the grapes used.

BUYING RIOJA AND RIBERA DEL DUERO There are several large Rioja wineries (called bodegas) that have been dominant forces in the market for years. My favorites are Marqués de Cáceres (Mahr-KESS deh KAH-seh-ress), Marqués de Arienzo (Ah-ree-EN-zo), Montecillo (Mohn-teh-SEE-yo), and Cune (KOO-neh). These wineries’ Crianza bottlings