Certainly the most famous Spanish wines all across the world. The area stretches out around the city of Logroño, in the north of Spain, just below the Basque country. The Rioja region is usually divided into three parts: the best wines are produced by the Rioja Alta (south-west of Logroño) and the Rioja Alavesa (north-west of Logroño), while the Rioja Baja region (east of Logroño) produces lesser quality wines.
Nowadays, Riojas are classified in two categories, each of them corresponding to a very different method of vinification:

The old school
According to this method now losing popularity, winegrowers favour the wood. This means keeping the wine in the barrels, rather than focusing on the quality and variety of the grape. The result is an oaky wine, often sold as Reserva or Gran Reserva. This method often makes for a heavy wine, which lacks flavour. Nevertheless, some are renowned wines, which have been on the market for a long time.


The new school
Consists of a new line of wines, ever more appreciated by wine drinkers. The new school favours the vine, the grape and the choice of grape variety instead of the time spent in the barrel. The vineyards are significantly smaller, harvests sometimes producing no more than 3,000 bottles a year. Winegrowers cultivate very old vines (40 to 50 years old) and are careful about using natural methods. They let their wine age in oak only a short time and always proceed depending on the quality of the picked grape, the reported weather conditions and the final result they want to get. Furthermore, barrels are always made from new wood, they are changed every other year or even every year.Read less -

One of the smallest wine regions in Spain. Located south of Cataluña, near the city of Tarragona. They must produce the most expensive and elitist wines in the country. You don’t drink a Priorato the same way you drink a Rioja! Keep it for great occasions!Read less -

This region, stretching around the river Duero, is located north of Madrid, between the cities of Segovia and Burgos, east of Valladolid. During the last ten years, it has become the cradle of powerful and outstanding wines that are highly rated by connoisseurs. The most famous wine in Spain, the Vega Sicilia, is made in this region. The Reserva Especial is hard to find and sells at around € 200 or 250 per bottle!
Ribera del Duero wines are not as easy to drink as Rioja wines. They are often more expensive. They are the result of a rigorous wine-making process through which winemakers always try to improve production quality. They are often more astringent than Riojas and are definitely wines that deserve to be better known.Read less -

A small region in the West of Spain, just near the city of Zamora and not far from the Ribera del Duero area, the Toro is very trendy nowadays. But those strong and heavy wines were already on the dining tables of the famous Salamanca University professors in 1215.
The 6,ooo hectares of vines registered in this area produce fruity wines when young. They develop their body and complexity after aging in oak.Read less -

This is, without doubt, the largest wine area in Spain. Located to the south and south east of Madrid, it stretches on to the provinces of Ciudad Real, Toledo, Albacete and Cuenca. Long thought of as bottom of the range, Mancha wines have benefited lately from the great effort made to upgrade winemaking quality
techniques. The effort was worth it and the region now enjoys a good reputation nationally. Prices are more affordable than the ones of the two other regions above.Read less -

3 regions in the east of Spain are particularly well-known for their wines, which blend varieties of classic and native grapes (Monastrel and Bobal). All 3 regions benefit from a Mediterranean climate and their wines are great value for money.Read less -

Located in the region of León in Castilla y León, Bierzo is a mountainous area similar to the Priorato region where the unusual Mencia grape is grown. Currently the "in" place for wines, wine expert Robert Parker has described it as one of the most promising regions of Spain together with Priorato and Jumilla (in the Levante region).Read less -

South of Pamplona and south-east of the Rioja, this region of Spain produces inexpensive wines that we found rather flat and disappointing. Julián Chivite’s Winery is the only one worth lingering at. Founded in 1647, this vineyard made a legendary wine for its 125th birthday in 1772. Since then, it has been produced again each year: the Chivite Collección 125.Read less -

These are wines that don’t stick to strict rules of geographical origin or winemaking methods. They generally come from wineries whose exacting and enthusiastic owners and oenologists are always in search of perfection.
These wines are excellent and, of course, quite expensive. They are to be saved for intimate dinners between connoisseurs.Read less -

Galicia, situated in the northwest of Spain manages to develop original vines. The best known are “el Albariño”, “el Godello” and “el Riveiro”.
• The Albariño grape variety produces very fruity young white wines. Fermented in casks, they show vanilla and toasted bread aroma tones. These are very fresh and tasty wines.
• The Godello grape variety produces dry white wines, which are very aromatic and structured and an excellent companion for fish and shellfish.
• The Riveiro grape variety produces a slightly sweeter wine than the above varieties. The most representative wine from this DO is definitely the Viña Meín, sold for less than € 10 a bottle.Read less -