Spanish Whites

At this time of year, just for a couple of weeks, I feel the need for dry white wine. I think it’s after all that rich, spicy food and wine, after the excess of everything, I feel like drinking white that somehow feels healthy and zingy. Spain is a great place to go for this style of wine, although I steered clear of Rioja, because I didn’t want oak, at all. How things have changed! Twenty years ago, or even ten to some degree, Spanish whites were anything but zingy. But, like all other modern wine-making countries, Spain has polished up its wineries and the wines coming out of the North West of the country are absolutely ideal to lift spirits during this dead month. If any of you have resolved to try new things in 2008, the fresh, zesty, dry and interesting whites of this part of Spain should definitely go on that list. The most famous regions are Rueda and Rias Baixas.

Sadly, our favourite wine was the most expensive. Burgans Albarino 2006 is £8.49 from Oddbins, but is reduced to £6.79 if you buy 6 bottles. It sports a strange orange and dark green label and a bright orange synthetic closure. It had a floral and beautiful smell, without smelling as if it was going to be sweet. The taste was lovely – intense acidity and flavours. Zingy, but balanced. Martin Codax Albarino 2006, which is £8.69 from Majestic, or £7.49 if you buy 2 until 4th February, is less fabulous, but is still clean, fresh and dry, with long lasting flavour. A vinous equivalent of eating a beautiful fresh summer salad.

We also quite liked Torres Vina Sol 2006, which is £4.99 in Waitrose and £4.49 in Tesco. It didn’t smell of much, but the taste was freshly acidic and nicely pithy. This one, actually, comes from Penedes, on the other side of Spain, around Barcelona.

We then tasted some more aromatic wines which I like very much, but which the panel found quite strongly flavoured – almost like adding spring onions and herbs to your fresh summer salad. Their favourite, which wasn’t so savoury, was the Torres Vina Esmeralda 2006, which is £5.99/4.79 in Oddbins, £5.99 in Waitrose and £5.49 in Tesco. It’s very floral indeed, being made from Moscatel and Gewurztraminer and smells of sherbet, but the panel liked it anyway. I preferred the really herbal wines, made from Verdejo. This grape is near in character to Sauvignon, but with extra cat pee or flowering currant. Cuatro Rayas, Rueda Verdejo 2006 is £5.99 from M&S, reduced to £4.49 until the end of the month. It smelt of blackcurrant leaf and was intensely tangy in the mouth. Just right to lift the January doldrums. I found Casa del Sol from the Co-op green and pleasant, but nobody agreed with me. Similarly, my favourite wine, Altozano Verdejo from Somerfield, which I found green, fresh and pleasant, got only grimaces from the panel. Dianne thought it was disgusting. Perhaps it’s a bit early in the year to be offering people startling wines.

Spanish Whites

© Copyright 2007 Mel Jones