Try a sip of Spain
Spain is the third largest wine producing country in the world, making it impossible to narrowly define the style or nature of its wines.
Its best known region, Rioja, generally produces blends based on the Tempranillo grape. Nearby regions Ribera del Duero and Toro concentrate on Tempranillo as well.
In the south of Spain you will find a totally different wine industry built mainly around sherry-style wine production with an entirely different set of grape varieties. The cool and wet areas of northwest Spain and the Basque country introduce new styles and grapes as well.
Catalonia is an autonomous region located in northeast Spain along the Mediterranean coast below the French border. Its winemaking history dates to pre-Roman times and while it shares some characteristics with the rest of Spain, there are notable differences.
With easy access to the French market, Catalonia benefited like Rioja when phylloxera wiped out French wine production in the 19th century. Catalan wines then were based mainly on red varieties, the same red varieties found along the western Mediterranean littoral: Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan and others.
About the same time, production of Cava, Spain’s version of sparkling wine, was begun in Catalonia. When phylloxera eventually reached the region, many of the vineyards were replanted with white grapes and switched to producing sparkling wine. Cava production now dominates the region.
Replanting of red varieties, as well as the modernization of the Catalan wine industry, has brought some of the more popular French varieties to the region, including Cabernet Sauvignon. Some of the sub-regions of Catalonia, such as Conca de Barbera and Costers del Segre, lean heavily on the French varieties, while areas such as Montsant, Terra Alta and Priorat rely more on the traditional red varieties.
Priorat is one of only two DOC regions in Spain (the other one is Rioja). This special status is linked to outstanding and consistent quality based on old, lowyield Grenache and Carignan vines (or, Garnatxa and Carinyena in Catalan). The region is a pocket surrounded by hill country, with very hot summer temperatures and poor soils. Priorat was “discovered” by Robert Parker and the international wine market a couple of decades ago, pushing up some prices to exotic ranges.
The NLC is carrying a relatively inexpensive Priorat on “Last Chance” for under $20, but I have not had a chance to sample it.
Another last chance Catalan wine is Clos del Pinell Crianza 2007 (NLC $19.99) from the subregion of Terra Alta. This hilly, “highland” region is located south of nearby Priorat and shares its winemaking history and conditions. The wine is showing abundant mature aromas with the sweet cherry of Grenache dominating. The structure is intact with smooth tannins and pleasant acidity, making for a delicious dinner wine. This wine includes some of the Morenillo grape variety, a native of Terra Alta which is being rescued from near extinction.
This wine and a recent one I enjoyed from Montsant, which both feature traditional grape varieties of the region, are both attractive and affordable. When these last chance bottles are gone, I hope it won’t be long before some similar replacements become available.