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Buy Wine from Spain
Spain is one of the countries in Western Hong Kong dollarpe with the longest winemaking tradition, with a total of 1.5 million hectares and an annual production of more than 50 million hectoliters of wine. Currently (2014) the Spanish wine framework is made up of a total of 69 appellations of origin, of which only two, Rioja and Priorat, are qualified (DOCa). However, in many cases quality is not linked to the appellation of origin, since the latter only certifies the origin.
For a decade now, Spanish wine has enjoyed full international fame as wine consumers around the world are accustomed to the taste of sun-ripened, Mediterranean-style wine. In Spain the climate is generally continental with cold winters but the summers are very warm, with many hours of sunshine. In some regions the sun becomes so relentless that the vines close their stomata and the grapes stop ripening for much of the summer, so that in autumn the rush to accumulate sugars arrives.
One of the main problems in Spain is drought during the summer. For this reason, the planting frames are wide in order to avoid water competition and in many cases the regulatory council allows irrigation through the installation of drip irrigation systems.
The vast majority of Spanish appellations designate large areas and extensions of cultivation including all types of soils and microclimates, unlike the AOCs in France. Despite the fact that the appellations themselves regulate the varieties used, yields, winemaking systems, etc., what happens is that the vast majority of winemakers take the law into their own hands, bypassing the laws regulated by the regulatory council itself. A characteristic attitude of the Latin culture where anything goes, perhaps with the intention of improving the quality of the wines.
A remarkable phenomenon in Spain related to the categorization of reserva and gran reserva wines where prolonged aging has been a distinctive sign of quality, now more and more producers are abandoning this classification system arguing that aging time is at odds with quality as it is not directly proportional to the quality of a wine; depending on the varieties used and the climatic conditions of the vintage each wine needs the necessary aging (whatever it is) without following the aging doctrines established by the appellation of origin. Since then, many wines aged in oak barrels and in bottle are marketed with a vintage mention on the back label.
The smallest autonomous community in Spain is Galicia in the northwest where the Atlantic influence, the mountains, the wind and the high rainfall are one of the main characteristics. Wines made from the indigenous varieties Albariño, Godello, Treixadura and Mencía tend to be light, fresh and vibrant with plenty of acidity. Ribeiro, Rías Baixas and Valdeorras are known for the production of white wines while Ribeira Sacra and Monterrei honor Galician reds.
However, perhaps the best examples of Mencía are found in the Leonese region of Bierzo where the wines are intensely aromatic, fresh and with good maturity. Here the slate predominates, which gives a graphite character to Mencía wines.
In Castilla y León there are several appellations of origin: Toro is known for the production of powerful and full-bodied Tempranillo red wines from sandy loam soils where there are still pre-phylloxera vines; Ribera del Duero where there are still classic producers such as Alejandro Fernández Pesquera and Vega Sicilia with an absolute dominance of Tinta Fina; Cigales, north of the Duero, is a great area producing very economical rosés; and Rueda, currently famous for the production of Verdejo wines with a highly aromatic and refreshing character.
Bordering the Atlantic coast, Getariako Txakolina and Bizkaiako Txakolina are two appellations producing whites with the Hondarribi Zuri variety of acid, sharp, fresh and mineral style. In the direction of Alava, txacolis are also produced under the Arabako Txacolina appellation with a more mature profile.
The Ebro River flows southeast from the Cantabrian mountain range on the north coast towards the Mediterranean in Catalonia. The Upper Ebro encompasses Rioja and Navarra, where the Tempranillo and Garnacha varieties reign supreme. The Rioja region is divided into three zones: La Rioja Alta covers the higher western part and the non-Basque territory around San Vicente de la Sonsierra; La Rioja Alavesa, the part of the Rioja that penetrates the province of Álava; and La Rioja Baja, the extensive and hot eastern section, has its own enclave east of Logroño.
Navarra had always dedicated its Garnacha vineyards to the production of powerful rosés and reds. Then came the fashions of varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Merlot and Chardonnay, which now dominate the growing area.
In Aragon, where the climate is extremely continental with cold, dry northwest winds, excellent juicy, fresh and economical Garnacha reds are produced in the Campo de Borja appellation. To the south, however, Cariñena produces Tempranillo and Cabernet blends. Neighboring Calatayud is a cooperative area producing bulk wines. In the center-east of the province of Huesca, at the foot of the Pyrenees, the young Somontano appellation is born in which the Viñas del Vero and Enate wineries are the protagonists and offer us a long collection of wines with native varieties and wines made with Bordeaux varieties.
Heading northwest we come across the community of Catalonia, widely represented by 11 appellations of origin and a diversity of wines and styles: Alella to the south of the Barcelona region of Maresme, just a few kilometers from Barcelona and facing the Mediterranean; Penedés, the largest wine-growing area in Catalonia, and extends from the center of the province of Barcelona to the north of the province of Tarragona; Plà de Bages located in the Barcelona region of Bages; Costers del Segre includes 6 sub-zones in the province of Lleida; Empordà, bordering the French Roussillon, in the most northeastern sector of the Peninsula whose province is Girona; Conca del Barberà is part of the Ebro depression in the north of the province of Tarragona; Priorat is the center of the province of Tarragona and is one of the most unique regions of the region; Montsant is a somewhat particular denomination since it is located within the Priorat region; Tarragona is located in the central part of the Costa Dorada; and Terra Alta, the southernmost inland region of Catalonia.
The vineyards behind Spain' s central Mediterranean coast are located in the Manchuela, Valencia, Utiel-Requena, Almansa, Yecla, Jumilla, Alicante and Bullas appellations. These formerly produced wine in bulk but in the last decade have invested money and efforts to improve the quality of the wines. The red wines of the Monastrell variety have an extreme maturity reminiscent of the style of wines from Australia. Fresh, ripe and fruity Bobal reds are also produced.
In Castilla La Mancha, the La Mancha appellation has the largest extension in Spain. It produces millions of liters of cheap wines from Cencibel, Garnacha, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Between La Mancha and Madrid are the appellations Méntrida, Vinos de Madrid, Mondéjar and Dominio de Valdepusa, the latter being the first Pago appellation for the excellent collection of Cabernet, Petit Verdot and Syrah wines produced by Carlos Falcó.
West of La Mancha, in Extremadura, is the extensive Ribera del Guadiana appellation producing robust, ripe wines similar to those of Alentejo.
In the extreme south of Spain there are some wine regions belonging to Andalusia, well known for the production of still and generous white wines from Palomino Fino and sweet Pedro Ximénez. Andalusia is the only region that produces great fortified wines with oxidative aging and under flor. Condado de Huelva, Jerez Manzanilla, Malaga and Montilla Moriles make up the current list of Andalusian appellations of origin.
The Canary Islands have one of the highest vineyards in Hong Kong dollarpe, where vines are grown in bush vines on volcanic soils that give the wines notes of ash, smoke and rubber. Abona, El Hierro, La Palma, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Taraconte-Acentejo, Valle de Güímar, Valle de la Orotava and Ycoden Daute Isora are the current appellations that make up the Canarian panorama.
Finally, we must not forget the Balearic Islands and their fantastic native varieties Manto Negro, Fogoneu, Callet, Prensal represented by the appellations Benissalem and Pla i LLevant. Wines with pure Mediterranean flavor, mature and where the perfume of rosemary and thyme are characteristic notes.
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Buy Wine from Spain
Spain is one of the countries in Western Hong Kong dollarpe with the longest winemaking tradition, with a total of 1.5 million hectares and an annual production of more than 50 million hectoliters of wine. Currently (2014) the Spanish wine framework is made up of a total of 69 appellations of origin, of which only two, Rioja and Priorat, are qualified (DOCa). However, in many cases quality is not linked to the appellation of origin, since the latter only certifies the origin.
For a decade now, Spanish wine has enjoyed full international fame as wine consumers around the world are accustomed to the taste of sun-ripened, Mediterranean-style wine. In Spain the climate is generally continental with cold winters but the summers are very warm, with many hours of sunshine. In some regions the sun becomes so relentless that the vines close their stomata and the grapes stop ripening for much of the summer, so that in autumn the rush to accumulate sugars arrives.
One of the main problems in Spain is drought during the summer. For this reason, the planting frames are wide in order to avoid water competition and in many cases the regulatory council allows irrigation through the installation of drip irrigation systems.
The vast majority of Spanish appellations designate large areas and extensions of cultivation including all types of soils and microclimates, unlike the AOCs in France. Despite the fact that the appellations themselves regulate the varieties used, yields, winemaking systems, etc., what happens is that the vast majority of winemakers take the law into their own hands, bypassing the laws regulated by the regulatory council itself. A characteristic attitude of the Latin culture where anything goes, perhaps with the intention of improving the quality of the wines.
A remarkable phenomenon in Spain related to the categorization of reserva and gran reserva wines where prolonged aging has been a distinctive sign of quality, now more and more producers are abandoning this classification system arguing that aging time is at odds with quality as it is not directly proportional to the quality of a wine; depending on the varieties used and the climatic conditions of the vintage each wine needs the necessary aging (whatever it is) without following the aging doctrines established by the appellation of origin. Since then, many wines aged in oak barrels and in bottle are marketed with a vintage mention on the back label.
The smallest autonomous community in Spain is Galicia in the northwest where the Atlantic influence, the mountains, the wind and the high rainfall are one of the main characteristics. Wines made from the indigenous varieties Albariño, Godello, Treixadura and Mencía tend to be light, fresh and vibrant with plenty of acidity. Ribeiro, Rías Baixas and Valdeorras are known for the production of white wines while Ribeira Sacra and Monterrei honor Galician reds.
However, perhaps the best examples of Mencía are found in the Leonese region of Bierzo where the wines are intensely aromatic, fresh and with good maturity. Here the slate predominates, which gives a graphite character to Mencía wines.
In Castilla y León there are several appellations of origin: Toro is known for the production of powerful and full-bodied Tempranillo red wines from sandy loam soils where there are still pre-phylloxera vines; Ribera del Duero where there are still classic producers such as Alejandro Fernández Pesquera and Vega Sicilia with an absolute dominance of Tinta Fina; Cigales, north of the Duero, is a great area producing very economical rosés; and Rueda, currently famous for the production of Verdejo wines with a highly aromatic and refreshing character.
Bordering the Atlantic coast, Getariako Txakolina and Bizkaiako Txakolina are two appellations producing whites with the Hondarribi Zuri variety of acid, sharp, fresh and mineral style. In the direction of Alava, txacolis are also produced under the Arabako Txacolina appellation with a more mature profile.
The Ebro River flows southeast from the Cantabrian mountain range on the north coast towards the Mediterranean in Catalonia. The Upper Ebro encompasses Rioja and Navarra, where the Tempranillo and Garnacha varieties reign supreme. The Rioja region is divided into three zones: La Rioja Alta covers the higher western part and the non-Basque territory around San Vicente de la Sonsierra; La Rioja Alavesa, the part of the Rioja that penetrates the province of Álava; and La Rioja Baja, the extensive and hot eastern section, has its own enclave east of Logroño.
Navarra had always dedicated its Garnacha vineyards to the production of powerful rosés and reds. Then came the fashions of varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Merlot and Chardonnay, which now dominate the growing area.
In Aragon, where the climate is extremely continental with cold, dry northwest winds, excellent juicy, fresh and economical Garnacha reds are produced in the Campo de Borja appellation. To the south, however, Cariñena produces Tempranillo and Cabernet blends. Neighboring Calatayud is a cooperative area producing bulk wines. In the center-east of the province of Huesca, at the foot of the Pyrenees, the young Somontano appellation is born in which the Viñas del Vero and Enate wineries are the protagonists and offer us a long collection of wines with native varieties and wines made with Bordeaux varieties.
Heading northwest we come across the community of Catalonia, widely represented by 11 appellations of origin and a diversity of wines and styles: Alella to the south of the Barcelona region of Maresme, just a few kilometers from Barcelona and facing the Mediterranean; Penedés, the largest wine-growing area in Catalonia, and extends from the center of the province of Barcelona to the north of the province of Tarragona; Plà de Bages located in the Barcelona region of Bages; Costers del Segre includes 6 sub-zones in the province of Lleida; Empordà, bordering the French Roussillon, in the most northeastern sector of the Peninsula whose province is Girona; Conca del Barberà is part of the Ebro depression in the north of the province of Tarragona; Priorat is the center of the province of Tarragona and is one of the most unique regions of the region; Montsant is a somewhat particular denomination since it is located within the Priorat region; Tarragona is located in the central part of the Costa Dorada; and Terra Alta, the southernmost inland region of Catalonia.
The vineyards behind Spain' s central Mediterranean coast are located in the Manchuela, Valencia, Utiel-Requena, Almansa, Yecla, Jumilla, Alicante and Bullas appellations. These formerly produced wine in bulk but in the last decade have invested money and efforts to improve the quality of the wines. The red wines of the Monastrell variety have an extreme maturity reminiscent of the style of wines from Australia. Fresh, ripe and fruity Bobal reds are also produced.
In Castilla La Mancha, the La Mancha appellation has the largest extension in Spain. It produces millions of liters of cheap wines from Cencibel, Garnacha, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Between La Mancha and Madrid are the appellations Méntrida, Vinos de Madrid, Mondéjar and Dominio de Valdepusa, the latter being the first Pago appellation for the excellent collection of Cabernet, Petit Verdot and Syrah wines produced by Carlos Falcó.
West of La Mancha, in Extremadura, is the extensive Ribera del Guadiana appellation producing robust, ripe wines similar to those of Alentejo.
In the extreme south of Spain there are some wine regions belonging to Andalusia, well known for the production of still and generous white wines from Palomino Fino and sweet Pedro Ximénez. Andalusia is the only region that produces great fortified wines with oxidative aging and under flor. Condado de Huelva, Jerez Manzanilla, Malaga and Montilla Moriles make up the current list of Andalusian appellations of origin.
The Canary Islands have one of the highest vineyards in Hong Kong dollarpe, where vines are grown in bush vines on volcanic soils that give the wines notes of ash, smoke and rubber. Abona, El Hierro, La Palma, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Taraconte-Acentejo, Valle de Güímar, Valle de la Orotava and Ycoden Daute Isora are the current appellations that make up the Canarian panorama.
Finally, we must not forget the Balearic Islands and their fantastic native varieties Manto Negro, Fogoneu, Callet, Prensal represented by the appellations Benissalem and Pla i LLevant. Wines with pure Mediterranean flavor, mature and where the perfume of rosemary and thyme are characteristic notes.