Spanish Wine

Spanish Wines from Great Wines Direct

Wines produced in Spain have long been known around the world, although not all have enjoyed a good reputation in recent years. Spain has more than 1.17 million hectares of vineyards, and this has earned it the honour of being the nation with the most widely planted wine producing areas, however, in terms of production, it only ranks 3rd in the world, following France and Italy. The main reason for this is that the old vines are widely spaced and only produce low yields due to the infertile and dry soil that is found in so many of Spain's wine producing regions.

Spain has many native varieties of grape, and there are more than 400 different grape varieties planted across the country. Despite this, 80% of the wine produced here comes from just 20 different types of grape, including the well-known red Garnacha, Monastrell, and Tempranillo varieties, and the white Albarino, Palomino, Macabeo, and Airen varieties. There are also three types of grapes used to make cava: Parellada, Macabeo, and Xarel-lo.

The best known Spanish regions for wine production include Ribera del Duero and Rioja, both of which are famous for Tempranillo varieties. Rias Baixas, to the north-west of Galicia, is also known for producing fine white wine from the Albarino grape.

The most prevalent grape variety in Spain is the airen, which is known for its resistance to drop and its hardiness. The wines made using this grape are very high in alcohol and are also prone to oxidation. The next most frequently seen grape is the Tempranillo, which comes under a number of local names.

Today’s Spanish wine industry is becoming more modern, and this has led to more international varieties of grape being introduced to blends, including the ever-popular Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay grapes.

Read our blog - Why Spanish Wines are Among the Best in the World!

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Rose 12

Cava Rosado Sparkling Wine NV Codorniu 20cl NV £3.04

Red 15.5

Pago de Carraovejas Ribera del Duero 2022 75cl | Great Wines Direct

Pago de Carraovejas Ribera del Duero 2022 75cl £39.14

This is the new standard of top flight Ribera del Duero, located on the fabled Golden Mile , where the very finest estates are found It is incredibly complex, and while beautiful to drink immediately, it will also reward cellaring It has a delectable aroma of sumptuous red fruit, liquorice, gingerbread and freshly-baked apricot flan, with the most delicate seasoning of toasted oak Despite being a ripe and rich-textured wine, it gives the overall impression of beautiful balance and elegance Superb Pago de Carraovejas is a Spanish institution originally conceived in 1987 when the country's top sommelier, Jose Maria Ruiz, needed a wine elegant enough to pair with his suckling pig that he was hitherto unable to find on the market Ever since, the wine has sold out on allocation At the hands of Pingus winemaker, Patricia Benitiez, and with input from incredible winemakers such as Vega Sicilia's Javier Ausas, it truly is the new standard of modern Ribera del Duero wines With some of the highest vineyards in the region at 850m elevation, the clay-rich limestone soils bring beautiful refinement and perfect ripeness to the Tinto Fino, Cabernet and Merlot grapes

Red 13.5

Bodegas Ondarre, Rioja, 'Primeur' 2022 75cl £13.25

A generous and smooth youthful Rioja, with enticing notes of fresh black fruits, hints of oak spice and a textured palate full of terroir expression

White 12.5

Embrujo del Campo Organic Verdejo 2024 75cl | Great Wines Direct

Embrujo del Campo Organic Verdejo 2024 75cl £8.68

This is a dry, restrained Spanish white, with hay and fennel flavours rounded out by plums and pears, and ending on a refined note of citrus

Red 14.5

Care Garnacha Nativa 2022 75cl £11.40

Clean powerful aromas of ripe red and black fruits with cacao and coffee bean notes On the palate the wine shows finds spices, toasty hints and mature notes, with a perfectly integrated tannic structure On the finish the wine is rich, elegant, powerful and fruit driven

Red 14

Vina Salceda Puente de Salceda Reserva 2018 75cl £14.32

Red 13.5

Bodegas Ondarre, Ondarre Reserva, Rioja 2019 75cl £16.38

Leather, vanilla and spice of traditionally made Rioja enveloped in an elegant and textured palate

Red 13.5

Hugonell, Reserva, Rioja 2019 75cl £16.37

A traditional and rich Rioja showing vanilla, red fruit and tobacco flavours, spicy and savoury

White 12

Celler 9+ Blau Cel Organic Blanc 2022 75cl £11.51

After the heritage of the vines (that where cultivated by the family for several generations), Moises Virgili, the owner who studied oenology and is was external oenologue of different cellars, decided to create his cellar using the garage of his house Nowadays three people work 100% for the winery and other eventual workers for works in the vines A lot of humility and work to take care of the tiny parcels of mostly old vines that he himself pruned and harvested as a kid helping his father

White 0.5

Albali Sauvignon Blanc Low Alcohol 2023 75cl £5.03

De-alcoholised Sauvignon Blanc from Spain It smells of tinned grapefruit and guava, and tastes tart and sweet - with sugar used in an attempt to fill the hole left by the removal of the alcohol

Red 14

Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva 2017 75cl £24.52

This is an utterly awesome Reserva Rioja There is fabulous purity and intensity to the ripe cherry fruit, which mingles seamlessly with the fine oak A wine of marvellous hamony, polished texture and understated complexity that subtly fans out on the finish, gradually revealing tobacco, warm cedar, dry spice and light floral scents Dense, sweet and polished on the palate, it is a beautifully balanced wine with very fine tannins Utterly ready to drink now, it would also show pleasant evolution over the next five years

Red 15

Sierra Cantabria Rioja Garnacha 2020 75cl £20.41

Elegant and beautifully balanced, this has black cherry, pomegranate, liquorice and spice flavours, seasoned with the most delicate touch of oak and Garnacha's natural delicate pepperiness From a single vineyard planted in 1927 in the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, this is a comparatively rare varietal Garnacha from the Rioja Alta sub-region Rated 95/100 by James Suckling: "a phenomenal wine" and 92/100 by The Wine Advocate: "a great vintage of finesse, really spectacular and improving in the glass"

Red 14.5

Pago de los Capellanes Roble 2023 75cl £19.67

Joven Roble is for everyone and for every moment Fresh and vibrant, while at the same time complete and full of energy, this is a clear, affable, open and frank character, whose production is taken very seriously by Pago de los Capellanes to obtain a blissfully satisfying wine with every vintage This is bright Tempranillo, overflowing with red fruit and lightly perfumed with vanilla and a breath of mint

Red 14.5

Bodegas Paniza, 'Dama D Roca' Garnacha, Carinena 2023 75cl £11.28

With vibrant aromas of ripe brambly fruits, this wine is juicy on the palate with hints of spice and vanilla

Red 14

Bideona, Rioja, Tempranillo de Laderas 2021 75cl £16.46

A pure and precise wine with aromas of cherries and red berries layered with thyme through to a fresh palate with lovely fruit flavours

Red 14

Sierra Cantabria Rioja Gran Reserva 2016 75cl £33.16

A colossally complex, sumptuous, beautifully mature Gran Reserva, with a fabulously intricate and inviting bouquet of vanilla, fig, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, black truffle and autumn leaves The palate utterly lives up to the expectation set by the nose: super-soft, mature tannins; full-bodied and crammed with pronounced flavours of dates, seasoned wood, liquorice, hot tar, woodsmoke and brown cardamom Superb length on the palate Awesome wine, outstanding quality