All about Spanish Wine

In Part One of our introduction to Spanish wine, we kicked off with the quintessential Spanish Reds, Rioja and Ribera Del Duero, as well as the sparkling Cava – wines that aspiring oenophiles need to know, maybe even try. With over 400 native grapes in Spain, however, we’re back with more indigenous varietals for your enjoyment. Say hello to Garnacha, Verdejo, and Trepat.

Garnacha: Pinot Noir of the South

Garnacha, better known internationally as Grenache, is one of the most planted grapes in the world, although it originates from Spain. It is a thin-skinned black grape capable of producing well-balanced, structured, and complex wine, though it’s not without its challenges – Garnacha is highly sensitive to terroir, and requires precise and meticulous treatment in order to produce the best wine. Which is why wine lovers often compare it to the equally fussy Pinot Noir, though its propensity for hotter climates makes it the warm weather cousin of the beloved French grape. 

Garnacha Tasting Notes

As Garnacha enjoys basking in sunshine (who doesn’t?), it ripens faster, yielding wines of high sugar levels, and low to medium tannins and acidity. Its flavour ranges from that of red fruit such as raspberry, strawberry, cherry, and plum, to herbs and spices such as black pepper, anise, and cinnamon. Suggestions of musky leather, earth, and tobacco are also common. 

Garnacha In Wine

While Garnacha is often incorporated into Rioja and Rosado (the Spanish Rosé), it can also stand on its own. Try a monovarietal Spanish Red with the Abadia de Poblet Conca De Barbera El Tossal de la Salut, featuring notes of dark cherry and raisin from the vineyards of Conca de Barberà, with soft tannins and a balanced acidity that you won’t be able to get enough of. 

Garnacha Fun Fact!

Did you know that the official #GrenacheDay occurs annually on the third Friday of September? If you’re thinking of trying it, there’s no better time!

 

Verdejo: An Exclusively Spanish White Wine

Now Verdejo is an interesting one. Growing almost exclusively in Spain, Verdejo produces a light-bodied and crisp, unoaked white wine style that was conferred Denominación de Origen (DOCa / DOC / DOQ) status in 1980, putting the tiny region of Rueda on the world map for wine. Despite that, however, the unfortunate truth is that most people do not know what Verdejo is all about.

Verdejo Tasting Notes

Wines made from Verdejo are typically pale greenish yellow in colour, with low sugar levels, and medium acidity. It tends to exude notes of grass, fennel, citrus blossom, as well as white peach and citrus (such as lime, lemon, and grapefruit). 

Aging Verdejo

Verdejo is commonly sold with no aging so as to accentuate its herby, green citrus notes. Unlike other whites, however, it can age well in the bottle. A Verdejo that’s undergone some aging not only has a richer texture, flavours of toasted almond also come to fore while bitter notes of grass and herb reveal themselves toward the end, endowing more complexity to the easy-drinking wine. 

Verdejo In Wine

As Verdejo itself is light-bodied, it is typically blended with Sauvignon Blanc or Viura grapes (also known as Macabeo) so as to produce a more aromatic and full-bodied white wine. Do note, however, that wines labelled Verdejo must contain minimally 85% Verdejo, and blends with less Verdejo are labelled Rueda instead. 

For a bottle of Verdejo blended with Sauvignon Blanc, why not try the Vinos del Paseante La Charla Verdejo, a light-bodied, dry wine with sparkling acidity, and tropical fruit notes such as pineapple, passionfruit and mango, as well as tangy grapefruit, and crisp apple and pear. 

 

Trepat: An Indigenous Catalan Grape

Trepat Tasting Notes

Trepat is a red-wine grape native to Catalonia, Spain, that is most often seen in Rosado Cava as well as in Spanish Red blends alongside Tempranillo and Garnacha. In the Conca de Barberà and Costers del Segre regions, however, Trepat is used to produce fresh, medium-bodied red wines. These wines are typically fresh, light, and fruity, with prevailing flavours of strawberry, raspberry, hay, and cinnamon, as well as an understated bitter orange aftertaste. 

Trepat In Wine

In Abadia de Poblet, specifically – a winery housed within the Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet world heritage site – winemakers studied ancient winemaking techniques of monks, crushing the Trepat grapes with their stems, so as to give the wine a boost in tannins, and complexity in flavour. The goal is to communicate pure terroir in a bottle, transporting the drinker into the land of Conca de Barberà itself. 

Luckily, here at Cellarbration, we’ve brought in a monovarietal Trepat Red from Abadia de Poblet for your indulgence – the Abadia de Poblet La Font Voltada. Aged in oak barrels for 16 months, this is an irresistibly smooth, unapologetically bold wine wrapped in a delicate floral bouquet, with bright notes of cherry, cranberry and liquorice, as well as pepper, nutmeg, and mint. You might even be surprised to catch a whiff of cola in it!  

 

Step Into the World of Spanish Wine

Now, we’ve made the introductions to a few of Spain’s innumerable grape varietals – so it’s your turn to get properly acquainted with them! Enjoy a stunning bottle of Spanish wine today with our free, next-day alcohol delivery services (for all orders $99 and above). Choose us as your preferred wine delivery service today!