wine connection
Spain Spectacular
sometimes Syrah and Merlot.
Many of the wines from Priorat
can be expensive. Nevertheless,
these deep-colored, rich, high-alcohol wines are excellent and
age-worthy.
Superior wines
worth exploring
By Annette Alvarez-Peters
FRIENDLY PEOPLE,
beautiful mountains,
wonderful beaches and
amazing food and wine
make Spain one of the
most desirable travel
locations in the world.
The diverse climate and
varied soils throughout
Spain provide for unique and distinct vineyards that create superior wines. After a
quest through a few Spanish regions, you
may find yourself adding Spanish wines to
your list of favorites.
wines take on a savory, meaty flavor as well.
Rioja comes in a wide range of styles,
from everyday fresh and fruity Crianza, aged
for two years, to Reserva, aged for three years,
which can display spicy notes and red fruit
flavors with lovely acidity. Gran Reservas,
which are aged for five years, exhibit elegance
and power.
Royal Rioja
Rioja has a penchant for producing world-class wines. The region is located in north-central Spain, along the Ebro River. This
beautiful wine country features picturesque
rolling hills, vineyards as far as the eye can
see and the Sierra de Cantabria as a breath-taking backdrop.
The predominant grape here is the noble
Tempranillo. This grape produces structured,
full-bodied wines, which can be blended with
Granacha (Grenache) to add fruitiness and
weight, Mazuela (Carignan) for acidity and
Graciano for aromas and color.
This unique, food-friendly wine can express various degrees of earthiness, minerality
and dried red fruit. As they age, many Rioja
Labors of love
The trendy and popular Ribera del Duero
region sits high on the plateau in north-central Spain, just southwest of Rioja. The
wine found in this high-altitude region can
achieve wonderful acidity levels.
The local Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) grape
is the main grape varietal, with the same
aging requirements as Rioja. International
grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec
and Merlot, are used along with Granacha for
a more modern flair. These wines can be
long-lived, intense and concentrated.
Two hours southwest of Barcelona, in the
northeast region of Spain, a narrow, winding
road leads to the top of Priorat. The views are
amazing, with steep, terraced vineyards
carved into the hillsides. The area is small, has
a diverse microclimate and is known for its
llicorella soil, which is made up of slate and
quartz, and perfect for grape growing.
Due to the rocky soils and a high percentage of the vines being 20-plus years old, yields
in Priorat are often low. It takes a great deal of
manual labor—and a true labor of love—to
work these magnificent vineyards throughout
the year.
The area’s principal grape, Garnacha Tinta,
can produce big, inky, fruity red wines with
hints of minerality. Garnacha Tinta is often
successfully blended with many other varietals,
such as Cariñena (Carignan), Cabernet and
Summer sippers
Reds are not Spain’s only
famous wines. One of my go-to
summer sippers is Albariño, a
white grape, planted in the
rocky soils of Rías Baixas. Rías
Baixas is a beautiful, lush and
tiny winemaking region
located in northwest Spain,
The summers there are dry and warm,
while the winters are very wet, with an abundance of rainfall and a mist that continuously
blankets the vineyards from the neighboring
Atlantic Ocean. To help keep rot and disease
to a minimum, the Albariño grapevine is
trellised high off the ground, which maximizes the health of the fruit. Albariño, which
accounts for 90 percent of the region’s plant-ings, has refreshing and crisp acidity and
lovely floral notes, along with apricot and
kiwi flavors.
If you like food-friendly wines, hints
of earthiness and ripe fruit flavors, Spain
will not disappoint. This is a beautiful country with wines to fit every budget. Invite your
family and friends over, throw together a
few tapas, grab a couple of bottles of wine
from Spain and enjoy a taste of the Spanish
life. Salud! C
Annette Alvarez-Peters oversees Costco’s wine,
beer and spirits program.
TO FIND which Costco warehouses
carry wine, go to Costco.com, click
on “Costco Connection Magazine,”
then “Beer, Wine & Spirits Locator.”
You can also find notes on Kirkland
Signature™ wines under “Kirkland
Signature Wine Connection.”
You’ll ;nd these ;ne wines from Spain
at select Costco locations:
La Petite Agnès Red Wine, Priorat
Item #673610
Fillaboa Albariño, Rías Baixas
Item #673619
Mas Sinén Negre, Priorat
Item #673720
Finca Villacreces Pruno, Ribera del Duero
Item #631265
Featured at Costco
NW
AUGUST 2012 ;e Costco Connection 51
