Left to right: Millie Aramanda, Mike Aramanda, Rupa Mathur, Lynn O’Keefe, Eileen Whittaker, John O’Keefe and Jim Fox
Bernadette Fideli
Ask most people what kind of Spanish wine they enjoy and most will enthusiastically reply, “Sangria!” Spain has much more to offer in wine than this fortified fruity punch. Eileen Whittaker and Jim Fox delighted the Wine Stewards with an educational evening exploring the world of Spanish wines. If one mostly drinks wines from the New World, e.g. South America, California or Australia, Spanish wines are a great introduction to the Old World. While Spain’s wine history dates back to the Phoenicians in 1100 BC, it was the French who generated the turning point in the modern era of Spanish winemaking. Due to the arrival of Phylloxera in France that destroyed most of the vines, many French wine merchants immigrated to Spain, settling predominantly in Rioja and Penedes. Today Spain has more vineyard area than any other country and places third behind Italy and France in terms of volume of wine produced. Traditionally the wines of Spain were known best within its own borders. Over the past decade steps were taken to update the appeal of Spanish wine to the world. As a result, Spanish wine can be very reasonably priced and is well worth learning more.
One of the things that makes Spanish wine special is that many Spanish wineries age the wine for you in oak barrels and in the bottle. The most popular red varieties of Spain include Tempranillo and Garnacha from the highly regarded Rioja region of Spain. Rioja Tempranillo wines are rated as some of the best in the world. These wines are a great blend of ripe fruit and earthy flavors. Garnacha, known as Grenache in France, is often used to make rosé, but can also make wonderfully ripe, cherry-fruited weeknight wines.
Spanish white wines are generally young, dry and meant to be drunk young. They are not as heralded or as popular as their red counterparts such as Rioja. They are, however, pleasant wines that pair well with light dishes. Albarino grapes are Spain’s most popular white grape and are noted for yielding wines with citrus aromas of grapefruit and lemon together with notes of peaches and almonds. It pairs well with any type of fish and shellfish.
The evening culminated with a glass of sherry. Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes grown near the town of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Christopher Columbus brought sherry on his voyage to the New World, and when Ferdinand Magellan prepared to sail around the world in 1519, he spent more on sherry than on weapons. Not ones to quibble with history, the Wine Stewards thoroughly enjoyed this lasting salute to Spanish wines.