Wines that you can drink everyday, wines that compliment any food, wines that are the life of the party or a perfect stocking stuffer, these Spanish beauties offer quality and value. Great bang for the buck, Vivanco Crianza Rioja and Corona de Aragon Special Selection are well-crafted wines that are delicious by the glass, and will compliment a wide array of food. These wines owe a lot of their charm to the regional vineyards that they spring from, and modern winemaking that has coaxed the best expression of the sites through the fruit.
Rioja wine, elegant and complex, is an affordable indulgence. Evoking aromas of vibrant summer fruit (strawberries, raspberries, black cherry), Rioja is the complete package, laced with a toasty spiciness, layered with good acidity and minerality. There is a nice persistency of fruit, cocoa, coffee bean, tobacco, earthiness, and depending on age, leather overtones. Rioja wines are a bargain for their quality, often retailing for one-third the cost of a similar quality wine from Bordeaux or Burgundy.
Spain is unique in that they don’t release their wines until they are ready to drink, taking the guesswork out of the glass. Cosecha, Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva track the aging process of the wine, from youngest to oldest. Most winemakers allow extra time at the bodegas to develop their alchemy of fragrance and body. These categories, strictly governed by Spain’s wine laws, ensures that no wine is drunk before its time.
Styles of Rioja wine have diverged in recent years, with some producers clinging to the traditional style, as ethereal and subtle as a great Burgundy. Other producers, seeking the modern path, craft powerful, lush wines with a mineral backbone, similar in style to a New World wine, without the extremely high alcohol level. Averaging 13.5% ABV, these wines don’t overwhelm food, but compliment it, and are easy drinking by the glass.
Spain is unique in that they don’t release their wines until they are ready to drink, taking the guesswork out of the glass. Cosecha, Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva track the aging process of the wine, from youngest to oldest. Most winemakers allow extra time at the bodegas to develop their alchemy of fragrance and body. These categories, strictly governed by Spain’s wine laws, ensures that no wine is drunk before its time.
Styles of Rioja wine have diverged in recent years, with some producers clinging to the traditional style, as ethereal and subtle as a great Burgundy. Other producers, seeking the modern path, craft powerful, lush wines with a mineral backbone, similar in style to a New World wine, without the extremely high alcohol level. Averaging 13.5% ABV, these wines don’t overwhelm food, but compliment it, and are easy drinking by the glass.
Bodegas Vivanco, located in the medieval hilltop town of Briones in the Rioja Alta wine region, produces over one million bottles of Rioja annually, most of it the fresh Crianza style. Made with estate-grown fruit, this modern style 100% Tempranillo wine is macerated and fermented in French oak, then aged for 16 months in one-year-old French and American oak barrels. After bottling, the wine rests for at least six months in their underground winery before its release. Vivanco is so passionate about wine, over a decade ago, they opened the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, where thousands of wine-related objects that tell the history of winemaking, such as corkscrews and presses, plus art, are on display, attracting over 100,000 visitors a year.
Vivanco Crianza Rioja 2013 is smooth and round, a young, fresh Rioja that is so expressive, violets, red berry and black cherry, vanilla and spice fill out its medium body, with accents of tea and fresh herbs. Silky tannins frame a long, mildly toasty finish; this is a well integrated, balanced wine that drinks almost seamlessly. Rioja can easily accompany a wide range of foods, from fish to duck, chicken to pork, beef to game, and hard sheep’s milk cheeses are the match made in heaven. The label reproduces Le Troubadour by Joan Miro, a painting that is on display at the Vivanco Museum, which features a corkscrew. Well-rated by James Suckling and Wine Spectator, it’s a screaming deal, with a SRP of $14.99. This is a perfect wine for everyday drinking, as well as a great gift idea.
With its rich history of winemaking, dating back to the Romans, DOP Cariñena offers high quality wine at amazing prices, the result of blending traditional techniques with modern technology. From one of the oldest protected appellations in Europe, a DO since 1932, Cariñena red wines encompass a red berry fruit, smoked meat, and baking spice profile, while maintaining a fresh acidity, making them more complex than their price tag would suggest. As a wine region, Cariñena offers a lot, 14 grape varietals are made into white, red, and rosé wines, with Garnacha the most widely planted grape, replacing most of the original Cariñena, or Carignan, plantings. Flying under the radar, Cariñena is poised to be the next big thing, with its delicious and affordable wine.
Grandes Vinos y Viñedos, located in northeastern Spain, is a large cooperative, making wines from vineyards across the region. With more than 700 winegrower members farming over 12,000 acres of vines, they produce 11 million liters of wine annually. Many diverse styles of wine are made, from higher altitude vineyards and many over 40 years old. Almost 15 years ago, the winemaking facility was modernized, allowing the winery to compete on a global level. Corona de Aragon is one of nine labels under the brand, crafting silky wines of distinction.
Grandes Vinos y Viñedos Corona de Aragon Special Selection 2014, 50% Garnacha and 50% Cariñena, is balanced in its fruit, structure, and acidity. Aromas of ripe red and black fruit (cherry, raspberry, and blackberry), spice, herbal and mineral notes echo on the palate, with pleasant tannins framing the long and fruity finish, accented with a smoky essence that is complimentary to the body of the wine. This pairs well with charcuterie, smoked sausage, spicy chicken or pork, Indian food, and ratatouille. This award-winning wine is a steal, with a SRP of $9.99.
Happy holidays to all, and just remember, you don’t need a special occasion to enjoy these two Spanish red wines, pop open the cork, and create your own fun times.
