Spanish Reds

Spain has the greatest area under vine of any wine producing country. Due to its arid climate and low rainfall, the land simply cannot support such a concentrated volume of trellised vines as you might find in a country like France. Spain's vineyards are therefore dotted with low-lying, ancient bush vines better adapted to compete for the scarce resources. The diversity of wine styles is immense. In the north west, Atlantic influences give a crisp acidity to the spicy Albariños of Rias Baixas. Moving eastwards along the Duero River high altitudes in the Ribera del Duero bring daytime heat for ripe red fruit and cool evenings for zesty acidity to the region's robust reds. The soils of Priorat just north of the eastern Mediterranean coast are blessed with a unique mineral which provides the region's Garnacha and Cariñena wines with a distinctive edge.