Spanish Wine Grape Varieties
There are more than 146 varieties of wines produced in Spain, making it one of the most varied wine makers in the world. According to the YourSpanishWine website, about 600 grape varieties are planted in Spain every season. Does this Spark an idea?
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Grapes Used for Making Red Spanish Wines
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Some of the red wines, or tinto wines, produced in Spain include Ribera del Duero and Rioja. Grape varieties that are used for producing red Spanish wines include Bobal, Monastrell, Tempranillo and Garnacha.
Bobal grapes give a rich color to the wine and are found in Albacete, Cuenca and Valencia regions.
Found mainly in Alicante, Valencia, Murcia and Albacete, Monastrell is a sweet grape variety that gives a deep red color to the wine along with a considerable amount of alcohol.
Tempranillo, also known as the star of Spanish grapes, flourishes well in La Rioja, Burgos, Ciudad Real, Alava and Cuenca areas.
The Garnacha grapes have thin skin and some pigment. Wines that are made using these grapes lack color and have a sweet, fruity taste.
Grapes Used for Making White Spanish Wines
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White wines, or blanco wines, produced in Spain include Rueda, Sherry and White Rioja. Palomino, Pedro Ximenez, Airen and Macabeo are some common grape varieties used for making white wines in Spain.
Palomino is a white grape largely produced in different parts of Spain, including Zamora, Huelva, Valladolid, Orense and Cadiz.
Pedro Ximenez has high content of sugar. It is found in almost all parts of Spain, but mainly in Valencia, Malaga, Badajoz and Cordoba.
Airen is one of the most common grape varieties produced in Spain and is mainly cultivated in Cuenca, Murcia, Madrid, Toledo and Ciudad Real.
The Macabeo white grapes are also known as Viura and Forcalla and are planted in Tarragona, Zaragoza, La Rioja and Badajoz.
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Grapes Used for Making Rose Spanish Wines
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Some of the most popular rose wines, or rosado wines, produced in Spain include Tapena rose wine and Condesa de Leganza Rosado. Grapes used for making these rose wines include Shiraz, Monstrell, Garnacha and Bobal. Shiraz or Syrah grapes are not a common grape variety found in Spain and believed to originate in Persia. Other grape varieties are widely produced in Spain and are known to be used for producing excellent quality rose Spanish wines.
Grapes Used for Making Sparkling Spanish Wines
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The most popular sparkling wine produced in Spain is Cava, which is a sparkling wine similar to champagne. This wine is made using Macabeo, Xarel Lo and Parallada grape varieties. Parellada grapes are high in quality and are highly productive and thrive well in Lenida, Barcelona and Tarragona.
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