Spain has an abundance of native grape varieties, with over 400 varieties planted throughout the country. However, 88% of the country's wine production comes from only 20 grapes, including: Tempranillo, Bobal, Garnacha, and Monastrell (reds); Albariño, Airén, Verdejo, Palomino, and Macabeo (whites); and the three Cava grapes — Parellada, Xarel·lo, and Macabeo.

The abundance of native grape varieties fostered an early start to viticulture with evidence of grape pips dating back to the Tertiary period. Archaeologists believe that these grapes were first cultivated sometime between 4000 and 3000 BC, long before the wine-growing culture of the Phoenicians founded the trading post of Cádiz around 1100 BC.

Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 1.2 million hectares (2.9 million acres) planted in wine grapes, making it one of the most widely planted wine-producing nations in the world (along with Italy and France). We will sample three wines that are all NEW to the shop:

Azul y Garanza Viura 2022, Navarra — Just north of Spain’s famous Rioja region, Azul y Garanza produces unique, expressive wines from vineyards at the edge of the Bardenas Reales Badlands (desert). The winemaking is minimalist in style, using low intervention techniques, fermenting in concrete vats, and utilizing native yeasts. The wines are produced from organic grapes, many of which are from very old vines. Viura is a white wine-grape variety most often associated with the Rioja region in Spain. This wine is fresh and dry and delicious. Viura can tend to be somewhat neutral, but the naturally low yields in the region preserve and bring out lively citrus and pear fruit flavors on a balanced backbone of acidity. 12.5% ABV. $19.99/6.50

Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros Garnacha 2022, Madrid — From the western edge of the Viños de Madrid DO, the estate is located in the subzone of San Martin de Valdeiglesias, which is known for producing the highest quality wines of the region. Made from 100% Garnacha grown on the sandy soils of the estate's vineyards and fermented in stainless steel. Refined with red fruit and a delicate herbal touch made all the more complex by its refined texture and a subtle minerality. 13.5% ABV. $19.99/6.50

Tomas Cusine Vilosell Red Blend 2020, Catalonia — Winner of the 2023 Wine Champion award (awarded by the International Wine Challenge [IWC], the world's most influential, impartial, and rigorously judged global wine competition). Complex and medium-bodied with smooth tannins. Smoky with aromas of black fruit and chocolate with hints of white pepper. Plush and attractively sweet, offering a flavor of blackberries and mocha. Mouth-filling with a long aftertaste. Blend: 55% Tempranillo, 18% Syrah, 12% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Garnacha. 14% ABV. $24/8

See you Friday!