The Best Of Spanish Wines

Spain is a huge country that produces tons of wine, but we often get caught up in tasting wines from only its most famous regions. I repeatedly hear what great bargains can be found throughout Spain and I agree wholeheartedly, but sometimes for the best bargains, you have to go off the beaten path.

Today, I give you some of the other Spanish wines. Some of the wines here were originally to be part of a larger tasting report, but Hurricane Sandy had other plans for me. To that end, you'll find some impressive Ribera del Duero wines leading off the list. With the region's history, they do have a bit of an edge when it comes to winemaking for the international market.

Other regions, like Utiel-Requena, Carinena, or Vino de la Tierra Contraviesa Alpujarra, are just making names for themselves. With the set of wines I tasted, predominantly value wines, it's easy to see that they are succeeding. There are the usual suspects here, tempranillo and grenache for example, but there is also cabernet and merlot thoughtfully blended with the indigenous varieties. The result is a set of wines that runs the gamut from those light and easy to drink to those that will really benefit from time in the cellar but may never lose their powerful dispositions. This is an intriguing set of wines and one well worth taking a look at!

Click here to find picks from all over Spain. 

— Gregory Del Piaz, Snooth