The Wine in Spain is Mostly Very Plain

The title is a bit unfair to "My Fair Lady" and Alan Lerner, because I am relatively new to Spanish wines. Also, on my recent first visit to that fabulous country, I didn't necessarily sample its finest wines. By the same token, the rain in Spain doesn't stay mostly in the plains, but rather in the north and the mountains. We still like the song. 

Spain is one of the three largest wine producers in Europe (behind Italy and France), but much of its production isn't up to its neighbors' standards. That could explain why a young lady ordered her red wine mixed with orange soda at a tapas bar on our last night. 

Over the past few years, Spanish wine more often has been praised for its bargain prices rather than its distinctive quality. My relative ignorance was over-matched by a Los Angeles bar tender who claimed that Rioja was a grape, not a region. It's okay.

In fact, Rioja is one of Spain's famed growing regions, along with Ribera del Duero and Priorat. Located in north central Spain, the Rioja region is an hour southwest of San Sebastian, and about the size of Delaware. The Rioja region is divided into three zones, with its best wines coming from the Rioja Alta (which also is the name of one of its top estates). The principal grape of Rioja is Tempranillo, a medium-bodied, spicy red grape displaying strawberry/raspberry/cherry flavors that traditionally has paired nicely with many lighter foods. But things are changing, as you'll see below.  

Riojas come in three to four designations, based on how long the wine has been aged. The young wines (labelled Joven or Cosecha) only require six months of barrel and bottle aging, and sometime see no oak at all. Although common in Spain, and a good choice with lighter-tasting meals, I haven't seen much of this in the U.S. Much more common here is Crianza, which requires 12 months of barrel aging with another 12 months of bottle aging. Reserva wines require an additional 12 months of bottle aging, while Gran Reserva requires 24 months of barrel aging and an additional 36 months of bottle aging. Interestingly, the wood used in the barrels - adding body and spiciness to the wine - is American oak, which tends to impart a stronger flavor than French oak. Cutting through the math, the younger, less aged wines tend to be lighter in flavor and less expensive. Crianza is a fine everyday wine for most occasions.

Another interesting - if unwelcome - development in Spanish wine is the departure from the traditional, lighter, lower alcohol wines in favor of new-world style, higher alcohol wines. It's not clear whether this is a temporary aberration or a real trend; stay tuned. Generally, the newer wineries seem to be producing a bigger bodied, more robust Tempranillo, which can almost be poor man's Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Most of the wines I sampled in Spain are not readily available here, so I substituted those that you can find here.

At a local wine-tasting hosted by Vibrant Rioja, my friends Shana and Jeff, along with my wife and I enjoyed the 2006 Bodegas Lan Crianza, with its bright berry flavor and  velvety, mouth-filling texture. From one of Rioja's biggest producer's, it is one of the Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines, and only costs $10. You can find it at K&L Wines in Hollywood.

At the same tasting, we also enjoyed the unoaked Senorio de Pedro Pecina Joven Rioja, which will set you back $14. This wine was spicy and very easy drinking. You can find it at K&L Wines in Hollywood.

Our tour guide in the town of Ronda claimed he had worked for the government promoting the wine industry. His advice: Don't spend too much money. He recommended the 2007 Marques de Caceres Crianza, and I gave it as a gift to my new friend Darryl and his wife Cristina, who had been our very gracious, unofficial Madrid guides. Upon returning home, I found the wine at none other than Trader Joe's, and brought it for dinner with Darryl's LA-based sister Teri and her husband Bruce. To my palate, it was easy drinking, smooth and relatively light. About $15. Now they know what I spent, although I brought mine back from the duty free shop, so I get credit for schlepping.

The 2007 Bodegas Puelles Crianza Rioja ($16) is a more voluptuous, layered offering that offers a lot for the money. It's a direct import by K&L Wines, which means that they've cut out the middle man and should be able to deliver the wine for a better price. This elegant wine tastes of mixed berries and a hint of earth, aged in used (which diminishes the impact) French and American oak barrels. We consumed it with ahi baked in lemon the first night, and then chicken baked with pesto and goat mozzarella cheese the second night. Everyone was happy, except for our dog, who didn't get any leftovers.  

At a recent Saturday tasting of Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines at K&L Wines, I sampled some more expensive wines (from $30 up to $60), but some of my favorites were less. The 2005 Vina Santurnia Reserva Rioja, at about $16, was very smooth, fairly simple, but a great food wine. Available at K&L Wines and at The Winehouse in West LA.

Changing gears - or colors - to a white Rioja, all of the tasters were wowed by the 2010 Bodegas Muga Blanco Rioja. This highly rated wine (both Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar gave it 90 points) is a blend of 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia fermented in new French oak for 4 months. Per Parker, it tastes of white flowers, mineral, melon, and is impeccably balanced. Tanzer notes the melon and nectarine aromas plus mineral and lemon zest on the long, smoky finish. We just thought it would be great on a warm afternoon, with appetizers or a light fish or chicken disk. For about $14, you can check it out yourself at K&L Wines or for $15 you can try the 2009 bottling at Woodland Hills Wine Company. Viura is said to be akin to Italy's everyday wine, Trebbiano; in a clever turn of phrase, one creative wine writer, Chris Kern, dubbed Malvasia the Joey Tribbiani of grapes, easy-going and fun to be around.

And now moving a bit southwest of Rioja to Ribera del Duero - named for the region along the Duero River - I really enjoyed the 2006 Alonso del Yerro Ribera del Duero. Generally speaking, I find that wines from this region are a bit earthier and fuller-bodied than those from Rioja, even though the grape is still predominantly Tempranillo. This wine is rated 90+ by the major four rating gurus, but, because palates vary, the reviews capture different flavor profiles. Parker describes it as layered and elegant with "an alluring nose of smoke, scorched earth, Asian spices, incense, and blackberry." Tanzer tastes "fresh red berries and cherry on the nose, with sexy Asian spices and minerals adding energy. Seamless raspberry and candied cherry flavors stain the palate but are almost weightless." Wine Spectator notes "plum, licorice, meat and smoke" while  Wine Enthusiast says "bouquet of intense berry and black fruit" with "tobacco, chocolate and blackberry." You can see for yourself for about $20 at K&L Wines or at The Winehouse in West LA. Tastes much more costly. 

To be sure, you can find much more expressive and expensive Spanish wines, and I hope someday that somebody treats me to them. In the meantime, I'm going to check out more Riojas and Ribera del Duero, which can be both food- and wallet-friendly. Please let me know what you discover. If you are looking for a lighter Rioja, ask for the traditional style; if you want bolder, or earthier, seek out the Ribera del Duero or the newer-style Rioja.