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Grape varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most successful and popular high-quality red variety. It has been cultivated (and still is) around the world, especially in France, Chile, Australia and the United States. Beside this, it has replaced the traditional varieties of Italy and Spain to some extent.
Cabernet Sauvignon is originally a French variety and a primary element in the red wines of the Bourdeaux region. In Spain it has adapted perfectly, for example, to the regions of Penedès, Navarra and Somontano even though it is hard to find a region where it hasn´t spread yet.
The taste, structure, acidity, and endurance of the vines and easiness of harvest are a few of the factors that make this variety so popular. Wines made out of this variety age much better than wines made out of most other varieties. Among the flavours of these wines you can discern cherry, blackcurrant, raspberry, cedar and paprika, for example.
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Garnacha
Garnacha can be either a red or a white variety. When it is used alone it is referred to red Grenache Noir that is one of the most widely spread variety.
Garnacha (or Grenache in France) grows in very hot, dry conditions. Its thick stalk endures windy circumstances and it is mostly grown for wine production in France, South-America, Australia and California. It has very high sugar content and it can give wines with an alcoholic content as high as 15-16%. Wines made of Grenache are sweet, fruity and have low levels of tannin.
This variety is often mixed with other varieties, such as Syrah and Carignan, for example, to achieve a smoother result. Used by itself it gives meaty and fruity young wines that have a tendency to mature quickly in the bottle and oxidise easily.
In Spain Garnacha is one of the most widely spread varieties. It used to be cultivated In Spain before France and it is originally Spanish because of its popularity in France it is also called Grenache. In Katalan region it is called Garnatxa.
In Spain Garnacha is usually mixed with Tempranillo, while in the Priorato region of Catalonia , where high-quality wines out of Garnacha are produced , it is mixed with small amounts of Gabernet Sauvignon or Carignan. In Australia Garnacha is sometimes used by itself but most often it is mixed with Syrah or Mourvédre.
White Garnacha (Garnacha Blanca) usually gives wines with a high alcoholic content and high acidity. These wines have nuances of citrus fruits and herbs. In Spain this variety is cultivated in Rioja, Navarra, Toledo, Madrid and especially in Terra Alta of Catalonia where it is the most commonly cultivated white variety.
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Mencía
The variety Mencía is thought to be the ancestor of Cabernet Franc, planted to Bierzo by early Roman colonizers. Thanks to the isolation of the region, it has been thriving well up to our days. The average age of the region’s vines is relatively high, which helps to produce high-quality wines.
The taste of Mencía can be described as round and berry-like with a marked flavour of cherry and black currant. Mencía does not thrive in very warm climates but in adequately cool circumstances it can give wines that are fruity and have sufficient acidity. The variety has been "rediscovered" by the wine enthusiacts.
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Monastrell
First literary references to Monastrell are from the 15th century. In France, where the varietal is used in mixtures, it is called Mourvedré. In Spain, in the region of Jumilla it is used to produce monovarietal wines.
Monastrell gives dark and meaty wines with a high alcoholic content. Earlier the variety was combined with varieties that had less colour and strength. Because of this, the grapes were picked late when their sugar content was at its rightest. Nowadays the harvest can be backdated and this way it is possible to produce monovarietal wines even from Monastrell.
Monastrell is the main variety in Alicante, Almansa, Penedés and Valencia, for example. Its main region is Murcia where it is grown in a little more than half of the vineyards.
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Muscat
The Muscat variety (in Spain Moscatel) is believed to have originated in the Middle East, though this is not certain. Probably Roman soldiers or Phoenician traders spread the variety all over the Mediterranean. Romans are believed to have named it after its strong aroma akin to that of musk.
The Muscat family consists of up to 200 varieties. They range in colour and size. They are widely cultivated for making wine or raisins or to be eaten eaten fresh. They range in colour from white to almost black but almost always they have a sweet flowery and very aromatic taste. Because of its wide distribution and large number of varieties it is thought to be one of the oldest varieties.
In Australia Muscat is used to produce a fortified, strong wine called Muscat. In Greece it is used for making Metaxa and in Peru Pisco-brandy is made out of it. In France and Italy it is used to make a wide variety of wines like French vin doux natural wines and Italian Asti sparkling wines. To French Champagnes it brings texture and elegance.
The variety cultivated in Spain is Moscatel Romano. It is low in acid but very sweet. It is one of the three varieties allowed for making sherry and an essential ingredient in sweet Málaga wines.
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Syrah
Syrah is best known as a French variety. Although it is often associated with the Iranian town of Shiraz, originally it is a cross of two less known varieties, Mondeusè Blanc and Dureza. More than half of the world’s Syrahs are produced in France, but it is also successfully cultivated in other countries with warm climates, such as South-Africa, Australia and California in the USA.
Syrah is a very dark, almost black, thick-skinned grape, which gives intensive wines with a spicy and berry-like nature and often a high percentage of alcohol. Syrah is a relatively productive and resistant variety but needs warm conditions to ripen. In Spain, in the Jumilla region, excellent monovariety wines are produced from it or it is blended with Monastrell.
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Tempranillo
Tempranillo is originally a Spanish variety, which is known with various names in Spain and other wine producing countries. For an example, in Rioja and Murcia this variety is known as Tempranillo, while in the La Mancha and Valdepeñas regions it is called Cencibel, and in Toro, Tinta de Toro. Outside Spain, Tempranillo is cultivated, for example, in Portugal, Argentina and the South of France. The name of this grape derives from the Spanish word 'temprano' referring to its early ripening as compared with other varieties.
Tempranillo has small, thick-skinned grapes and it gives full red wines. Tempranillo is often combined with other varieties because of its naturally low acid and sugar content. For example, in its most outstanding region, Rioja, Tempranillo is mixed with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Garnacha gives the wine strength by increasing its alcohol content. Mazuelo gives acidity and Graciano gives structure.
When young, Tempranillo gives excellent, fruity and fresh wines. In ideal conditions it is possible to produce well-maturing wines with sufficient acidity even without having to mix Tempranillo with any other variety. Aging in barrels, especially in American ones, gives the wine a nice flavour of vanilla, which fits in well with Tempranillo’s spicy nature.
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White Varieties
Airén
Airén is the one of the most widely spread Spanish varieties. In central Spain it is grown more extensively than any other variety. In the region of Vinos de Madrid, Airén is primary white variety. Traditionally Airén is used to produce material for the brandy industry and cheap, oxidized wines with high percentage of alcohol for local consumption. With careful treatment and highly-developed techniques, during the past few years, producers have been able to create simple and fresh dry white wines.
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Albariño
Albariño is the most important variety of the Rias Baixas region and is generally considered to be the best white variety. In Portugal Albariño is used for making quality vinho verdes. In Rías Baixas, where the climate is cool and windy, Albariño grows a thick skin, which helps to achieve an intensive taste. Typical wines made of Albariño are aromatic; often they have a taste of almond and fruits, such as the peach and citrus fruits, and flowers or grass.
Albariño go perfectly well with seafoods, thanks to the high acidity. These wines must be drunk when they are still young because they don´t age well.
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Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the most widely spread and best known white variety. It has a very versatile taste and scent. Chardonnay has become very popular among wine producers, thanks to its high productivity, acidity, its success in different environments and variability with vinification techniques. For the consumer, Chardonnay is easy to approach thanks to its combination of well-integrated aromas.
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Loureiro
This bay leaf scented variety is grown on both sides of the border of Spain and Portugal. In Portugal Loureiro is the most important vinho verde variety. In Galicia it is used to bring complexity to the wine and it brings aroma even in very small amounts.
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Palomino
Palomino is a white grape that is used in Spain mainly for producing sherries. It is almost certainly of Andalucian origin and is grown also in Rueda and Galicia. Outside Spain it is also known as Listan (France) and Fransdruif (South Africa).
Palomino was named after Fernan Yanez Palomino, who was one of the knights of King Alfonso X. On its own it gives a thin and tasteless wine but when used for producing sherry it developdes an intensive aroma and gives pale, delicate and dry sherries. It is one of the few varieties that thrive on a soil that contains a great amount of lime and magnesium. This type of soil, called albariza, can be found especially in the Jerez region.
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Parellada
Parellada is one of the three grape varieties used in making Cava. It is grown in the higher and cooler regions of Catalonia. A very productive and high quality variety with citrus and apple aromas and with good acidity.
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Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a variety of French origin. It is used to produce some of the most highly regarded French wines, such as Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. One of the best features of Sauvignon Blanc is its adaptability to different growing environments. Especially in New Zealand, excellent results have been achieved with this variety.
Acidity and the flavours of grass and herbs are a few of the main features of Sauvignon Blanc. In warmer regions it acquires a citrus-like quality and its flavour can be described as 'earthy'.
In Spain, Sauvignon Blanc is mostly cultivated in the Rueda region and, to a lesser extent, in Catalonia.
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Treixadura
Treixadura is a Spanish variety originating in Galicia. This aromatic variety is used in Portugal (in Trajadura) to produce vinho verde. It is normally mixed with other varieties such as Albariño, but light, citric monovarietal white wines can also be produced.
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Viura
A popular white variety, sometimes used also in red wines in small amounts. It is known, outside Rioja and Navarra, most often as Macabeo.
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Xarel-lo
Xarel-lo is one of the three main varieties used for cava production. It is grown mainly in north west part of Catalonia. It is sensitive to freeze but productive variety. It balances well other cava varieties with its acidity and intensive aromas.
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