WINES FROM SPAIN
The big wine-making country like Spain is a country of two faces: they have both great wines, but also a lot of 'boy-toys', that is wines that seem to be made for pure fun and not so much for fine taste. The best region in general is Catalunya. The regions that are most double-faced are Rioja and Navarra, so there you will find both the things you love and the wines you hate. Strangely, some of the best wines there don't even taste like rioja wine, and a lot of them are sold as young wines, that have not been aged in barrels (no riserva, that is).
Historically, Spain has been making wine since 4,000 years, the first wine makers being the ancient Fenician people that settled down in the Iberian peninsula. In 16th century, Jerez and Màlaga developed a market not only at home, but also for export of wine. In Cadiz, the capital of sherry wine, a lot of export wines were stored and once captured by Francis Drake and brought to England.
There are over 600 sorts of grapes cultivated in Spain, but only 15 of them are typical Spanish grapes, and they constitute over 75% of total wine production. Two red grapes that are most famous for their quality are Tempranillo and Garnacha (Tempranillo can have some other names in different wine regions, e.g. Tinta del País, or Cencibel, or Ull de Ilebre). Tempranillo is very fruity, is balanced in tannins, and is perfect for barrel aging. Among the green grapes, again two sorts are in the forefront: Albariño and Verdejo. Albariño is known for exotic fruitiness, while Verdejo is more expressive in acid, and minerality with some citral aromas. Try whichever wine you think will be most tasteful for you.
In Spain, we can say that there are three big wine making regions: the northern, the central, and the southern Spain. In the north, you will find the traditionally strong areas like Rioja and Navarra, and also others like Rueda or Somontano. As mentioned though, you need to be careful while choosing the wine to enjoy. The most cultivated red grape in Rioja and the north in general is Tempranillo, and it is often mixed with other grapes, including Garnacha Tinta (sort of French Grenache), or with Carignan or even with Cabernet Sauvignon. White grapes, classically good, are Viura and Verdejo, as well as Albariño.
In the central part of Spain you will find very strong wines (that is, more than just 13% alcohol), and a lot of heavy table wines. The quality there is not that high, although some producers are better than other. Still, wine experts around do not particularly recommend any of these wines, but the future might change the trends in central Spain. Hopefully...because I can see the potential there.
In the southern Spain, I think the most famous achievements include the sherry productions, and also some other strong wines. Sherry is a very old type of wine, made of Palomino grapes that are fermented in barrels under influence of a special species of yeast that gives the sherry a characteristic flavor. This yeast also covers the wine at the top so it is not oxidized too much. Where does the alcohol come from? It is added later on up to 18%. Nothing strange there. A number of types of sherry exist, the commonest one being Fino or Manzanillo (depending on where it comes from). The older sherries, at least eight years of aging in barrel are more nutty, and are called Amontillado. Even older sherries are called Oloroso. There is also one special kind of sherry called Palo Cortado, which is sort of in-between Amontillado and Oloroso.