I know, I know. I just ruined your game plan when you were trying

to impress your friends while ordering Spanish wine. Allow me to

begin by saying, “I’m sorry”. Actually, no I’m not. This is a commonly

known disease called Riojitis. But don’t worry, there is a cure – and the

treatment doesn’t hurt a bit.

Since the end of the Franco monarchy in 1975, Spain has continued

to go through a wild cultural revolution. Music, � lm, design, fashion,

food, wine, and other industries that were once not allowed to � ourish

in the name of the greater good came out from under their rocks. And

� ourish they have. In the case of wine, Spain currently has more vines

planted than any other country in the world, and is the world’s 3rd largest

Rioja Does Not Mean Spanish Wineeno tech

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wine producer behind Italy and France. With almost 80 regions working

with distinct grape varieties, many indigenous to Spain, it has a diverse

range of wine styles.

In the hopes of providing a snapshot of a few of these styles, listed

below are my top � ve non-Rioja wine regions of Spain. That’s right, Rioja

is a region, not a grape. After tasting at least one wine from each of

these regions, your case of Riojitis will be gone.

Sherry-Jerez-Xeres – “The Archie Bunker”

(The Old Curmudgeon)

In the U.S. most people put Sherry in same category as fruitcake – stale

and sticky. It’s something no one admits to liking, yet it’s sold all over

the country. Unlike fruitcake, it turns out that Sherry happens to make

some of the most unique and delicious wines in the world. Historically,

these wines were so prized that during the Age of Exploration, Magellan

spent more money on Sherry than on weapons for his voyages.

By inventing a wine-ageing technique known as the Solera System,

where wines are cross-blended between years to produce consistent

� avors, Sherry produces dynamic, oxidized wines in both dry and sweet

styles. This region boasts the most original winemaking traditions of

Spain that can be traced back over centuries and represents Spain’s

greatest and most original contribution to the world of wine. Here are a

The Pingus vineyards

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few recommended examples for the adventurous wine drinker:

Manzanilla or Fino: These are the lightest and driest styles with no

trace of sugar to be found. Think of them as the salty ‘White Wine

Spritzers’ of Sherry that are refreshingly cold.

Amontillado or Oloroso: Lightly browned, these lightly oxidized wines

are savory, not sweet, with � avors of walnuts/hazelnuts.

PX: Short for Pedro Ximenez. The PX grapes are dried in the sun

and provide the basis for the sweetest form of Sherry. With a texture so

luscious you’ll think about it on pancakes but you’ll prefer it with a piece

blue cheese.

Penedès – “The Frank Gehry”

(Beauty in Sleek Modernism)

This region is home to one of the most forward-thinking winemakers

in Spain, Miguel Torres. Aside from being outspoken regarding the

effects of climate change and investing heavily in modern science

and technology to combat it, he is equally innovative in the vineyard.

Employing satellite imagery to take pictures of his vineyards, he

determined which vines received the most light and then divided his

land into different parcels, giving each one a classi� cation based on

his theory. Most of us know the Torres name for the Sangre de Toro, a

cheap and cheerful red blend sold in most liquor stores. But as validation

of his methods, in the 1970s his single-vineyard, 100 percent Cabernet

Sauvignon, called Mas La Plana, beat all other contenders (including

Chateau Latour) in a blind tasting in Paris.

The arguably bigger story is that this region is home to Spain’s

greatest sparkling wines, Cava, the Spanish version of Champagne-

style bubbly. The Cava process follows the exact steps as Champagne,

including the most crucial step when the second fermentation happens

in the same bottle in which the wine is sold. This is vitally important

to quality because the persistence of the bubble has little chance to

dissipate since it never leaves the sealed environment.

The history of Cava only dates back to the mid-1800s, but there

are grounds for its reputation as one of the greatest examples of dry

sparkling wine made outside France. The distinctive character of Cava

can be found both in nuanced, delicate, and bone-dry styles and hearty,

smoky, and oak-tinged versions. Although not as established as great

Champagne, they are great wines sold at a fraction of the price. Whether

you know it or not, you have probably enjoyed a glass of “complimentary

Champagne” and been served a delicious glass of Cava.

Ribera del Duero – “The Donald Trump”

(The Golden Comb Over of Wine)

Ribera del Duero is home to luxurious, oak-laden red wines, the best

of which are produced by three of the most famous wineries in Spain.

Historically it is known for the world-renowned Vega Sicilia, a winery

that is the source of Bordeaux-styled wines of myth and story. Further

elevating itself into the spotlight in the 1980’s, the wines of Pesquera

showed once again that the region was capable of

grandeur. Most recently, staying true to pedigree, a

Danish winemaker named Peter Sisseck established the

now legendary, critically acclaimed Dominio de Pingus in

the 1990s.

When Ribera del Duero shines the wines are robust,

powerful, and graceful with a price tag to match. Made

almost entirely from the grape Tempranillo, these mouth-

� lling wines would make any table of Hedgefunders

happy at a steak house power lunch. In addition to these

leading three wineries, there are numerous lesser-known

wines of distinction from every corner of the region.

Unfortunately, there are also sub-par, over-priced wines

that piggyback on the name of the region. It is because

Ribera has been unable to raise its level of overall quality

that the upper-tier wines are lumped in with the mass-

produced, simply oaky wines of disinterest. Until this

is remedied, it will be up to the wine drinker to navigate

by speci� c winery rather than by being able to trust the

schizophrenic nature of the region. (Why do you do this

to yourself, Ribera? Why!?)

Priorat – “The Manu Chao”

(when Spanish and French infl uences combine)

Priorat was only a blip on the Spanish wine map for centuries from the

time that monks � rst planted vines in the area in the 1200s. It wasn’t

until the 1990s that a handful of French and Spanish winemakers came

together to form the original � ve “Clos” – Clos Martinet, Clos Mogador,

Clos Erasmus, Clos L’Ermita, and Clos de l’Obac. Once established,

This photo : Wine cellar at Pingus winery. Top, from

left: Gnarly Tempranillo vines in Ribera del Duero at

Pingus vineyards; Albariño vines trained head high

on pillars to provide airfl ow, preventing grapes from

rot in damp climate; Vega Sicilia barrel room.

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This page, from left: Terraced vineyards in the

Priorat; Walled vineyard at Albet i Noya winery in the

Penedes; Barrels in the Solera System at Lustau.

Bottom: Terraced vineyards under snow at Clos

L’Ermita in Priorat; Track and pulley system used to

pull baskets of Mencia grapes up the sloped

vineyards in Ribera Sacra.

these wineries changed the vineyard ecology to organic and biodynamic

practices and introduced French oak for ageing, thus creating deeply

fruited, � nessed, and powerful wines. Were it not for this severe change

in approach, the wines of the Priorat would have remained anonymously

produced by state run co-operatives while outsiders may have only

stopped to take notice of the local Sherry-styled wines, called Rancio.

The red wines are now made using French techniques in the winery,

and are predominantly based on the nearly century-old vines of

Grenache and Carignan. White wines are based mostly on White

Grenache, but they are allowed to blend with a plethora of obscure

local and international varieties. Both whites and reds are harvested

from impossibly steep terraced vineyards forcing the work to be done

painstakingly by hand. There is a particular soil-type called Llicorella

that’s found in the region that provides a distinct smoky mineral � avor in

the wines common to every bottle labeled Priorat. I only hope that high

prices spurred by huge point ratings in the wine press don’t doom this

region to an unsustainable reputation of greatness yet to be proven in

the long run. There is great quality here and promise in recent vintages

where less expensive cuvee’s are starting to be produced. Perhaps this

ability to produce wines of all quality will be Priorat’s saving grace.

Galicia – “The Tony Bennett”

(Great then, somehow better now)

Galicia is not actually a winemaking area, but is the most northwesterly

province in Spain, which is host to a slew of wine regions. The most

seasoned of these regions is Rias Baixas where the locals drink

seafood-friendly wines

based on the white grape,

Albariño. Beyond the

well-established sea-salty,

citrusy, and stone-fruited

Albariño wines, this is also

home to Spain’s newest

rising star grape varieties:

the indigenous, all but

forgotten, white Godello

and red Mencia. In the

last 10 years, the quality

of wines coming out of

regions like Valdeorras,

Ribera Sacra, Ribiero, and Bierzo (this last one technically not a part

of the province, though in wine terms it shares much in common) are

nothing short of stunning.

Godello is an ancient native grape variety that ripens unevenly and

needs the watchful eye of the grape grower to remain vigilant during

harvest. When harvested properly it creates acid-driven wines that

are everything from crisp, bone-dry and minerally, to rich and creamy

interpretations teeming with honey-suckle and ripe citrus fruits. The best

of these whites come from Valdeorras, but great examples can also be

found in Ribera Sacra and Bierzo.

Mencia is equally impressive for its perfumed, peppery, mineral-

driven, and herbal tea-like nature. It has been penned that there may

be a link between it and Cabernet Franc, but it has not been proven

by genetic testing yet. The cool climate regions of Bierzo and Ribera

Sacra founded on their granite soils are perfect beds upon which Mencia

� ourishes. Traditionally these wines were created in concrete tanks,

yielding rough, rustic and slightly awkward wines. With the in� ux of

cleaner, more modern techniques utilizing stainless steel tanks and

oak barrels, a new age of wines made from the traditionally overlooked

Mencia has been borne.

Take that, Riojitis! Feel it melt away as your curiosity propels you to

sample some of these Spanish wines. With your mind now � lled with

new knowledge, you are ready to take the next step: tasting. I told you

this wouldn’t hurt. With plenty of other great stories in wine happening

all over Spain we’ll stop here for a breather - there is no need to take it in

all at once. Stay tuned for further stories from behind the bar.

Until next time, Salud.

AFTER TASTING WINE FROM THESE REGIONS, YOUR

RIOJITIS WILL BE GONE

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