Another wine country

Surprising as it may be, it happens that the largest importer of Spanish wines (in bulk) is France, where a lot is sold as <i>vino di tavola </i> (table wine), followed by Germany and Italy

Spain is known for its flamenco, bullfighting and now the bid by the province of Catalonia to secede from the country.  What is less well-known is that Spain produces the third-highest quantity of wine in the world (after France and Italy). In 2015, its winemakers churned out 3.7 billion litres of wine — and consumed only 1 billion litres, so the rest was exported, either in bulk or after bottling. Surprising as it may be, it happens that the largest importer of Spanish wines (in bulk) is France, where a lot is sold as vino di tavola (table wine), followed by Germany and Italy.

Unfortunately, consumers in India cannot benefit from the Spanish “wine lake” as customs duties on bulk wine are the same as for bottled wine (162 per cent of CIF). The low prices (you can buy wine at 40 cents per litre onwards) would cut off the business of our domestic producers at the knees. 

However, the principal categories of bottled wines have been making huge improvements in quality. You may have already heard of Rioja, Cava, Priorat/ Monsanto and Sherry.

Rioja: A red wine produced from the Tempranillo grape in specific areas of the Ebro river valley in northern Spain, Rioja (pronounced “reeyokha”) is the signature wine of Spain. These are strong, rich wines that go well with red meat with a well-defined quality hierarchy. Crinaza (one year in cask, one year in bottle), Reserva (one year in cask, two years in bottle); and Gran Reserva (two years in oak, three years in bottle). 

The best Rioja producers include Marques de Riscal, Bodegas Muga, Bodegas Murrieta, Bodegas Lan and Bodegas Roda — all with ratings in the high 90s and prices ranging between $35 and $300.

One must here mention wineries like Pingus and Vega Sicilia (both in the neighbouring Ribera del Duero region), whose wines are among the most expensive, being priced anywhere between $450 and $800.

Cava: The name given to Spanish sparkling wine (pronounced “kava”) made using the same in-bottle secondary fermentation techniques as French Champagne, but with different grapes: Macabeu,Xarello and Paralleda, all grown in the coastal plains near Barcelona, in north-east Spain. While not having either the cachet nor the high prices of their French cousins, the best Cava wines are very good quality (up to 91 points), priced anywhere between $25 and $200. The largest Cava producers are Codorniu and Freixenet — both have their entry-level labels in the market — while quality Cava wines available here include Gramona and Huguet.

Priorat: A very small winemaking region located in the hills south of Barcelona, producing mostly strong red wines from the Garnacha (Grenache) and Carinina (Carignan) grapes, grown largely as bush wines, some 50 to 90 years old.

Wineries tend to be boutique family-run units with few people (sometimes only one) and the wines have gained international recognition for their quality. The best (and most expensive) labels include Alvaro Palacios, El Lloar, Porrera, Clos Mogador and Ardevol.

Wines I’ve been drinking: A Rioja, of course —  the Roda Reserva 2011 from Bodegas Roda (Rs 6,215 in Bengaluru). Pricey, but a lovely wine: a deep fruity and complex aroma of fruit, spice and cocoa, medium-plus body with silky tannins and an elegant finish. 

As the Spanish say, olé.

Alok Chandra is a Bengaluru-based wine consultant