Wines Around the World

Spain

The Spanish wine industry is as old as France's, but the wines they produce are not similar. Lucky for Spain, French winemakers brought their vines and winemaking skills to Spain when the phylloxera disease attacked French vineyards. Still, the only well known red wine from Spain we see here in the United States is Rioja. It is made from the Temperanillo grape and named for a region. Spain has a tradition of requiring its reserve wines to age in wood barrels for up to ten years. Some people find this wine to be too woody.

White wines from Spain do not enjoy the same reputation or quality of the Spanish reds. One of note is the local Viura grape also in the Rioja region.

Catalonia is an emerging region that could become noteworthy for its Penedes sub region. Varietal wines like Merlot and Cabernet are being grown there.

Spanish sparkling wines known as Cava are a very good value. The top Spanish bubblies are made from the Chardonnay grape in the Penedes sub-region and the Conca de Barbera area. Many use the same method for making sparkling wine as the French.
Sherry also comes from the Spanish island of Jerez. It is a fortified wine that can be light or dark, sweet or dry.

Portugal

Wine grapes were first cultivated in Portugal during the times of the Roman Empire. During the Renaissance, Portugal did a lot of trading with England and it was at this time the famous fortified wines were developed. These are Port and Madiera. While Madiera is primarily used for cooking these days, Port is enjoying a small Renaissance of its own now that many Americans are discovering the joys of cigar smoking, as Port compliments a cigar very well.

While Portugal does make good table wines, little is exported and most of the action remains on the steep hills along the Douro River. This is home to Port, which is a sweet, rich, alcoholically fortified wine. Port is made from the Touriga and Tinta grapes. They are partially fermented, then enough clear, high proof brandy is added to stop the fermentation. This leaves plenty of un-fermented sugar to sweeten the finished product, which is served at room temperature or slightly warmed by a candle or the palm of ones hand. Vintage and non-vintage types are available. Port can be ruby or tawny. Both are sweet, but the tawny is aged in oak barrels until it turns tawny in color. Tawny port develops nut and spice flavors in its aging process. Vintage Ports use the best grapes from the best vineyards in the given year, bottled young, it wants 20 years or more for further aging. Late bottle vintage (LBV) is aged longer so that it is drinkable upon its release.