A primer on grapes and places

Emerging regions

Bierzo. Fruit from the signature Mencía vines from this region in northwest Tierra de Castilla go into reds that are terrific food wines, with more finesse than power.

Campo de Borja. An emerging area south of Rioja, where the old-vine Garnacha vineyards climb the slopes of Sierra del Moncayo.

Cariñena. South of Campo de Borja, Cariñena is the birthplace of a namesake grape variety, though Garnacha is the dominant grape.

Calatayud. East of Cariñena, Calatayud’s high-altitude, old-vine Garnacha is just starting to show up in wines for export.

Empordá-Costa Brava. This coastal zone of Catalunya has newly planted Tempranillo, Cabernet and Chardonnay vineyards. The signature wine is a rosado (rosé) made from Garnacha and Cariñena grapes.

Jumilla. A hot, high-altitude region southwest of Valencia known for bulk wine, Jumilla now is making modern wine with its old-vine Monastrell grapes.

La Mancha. South of Madrid, the flat, inland region is hot in the summer, freezing in the winter, and dry all the time. White Airéns and Tempranillos predominate.

Navarra. Near the French border, west of Catalunya, the region is known for Garnacha, much of which is made into rosados. Tempranillo production is rising.

Priorato. An area of Catalunya known for a wide elevation span (328 to 2,297 feet) and slate and quartzite soils; artisanal winemakers have planted Cabernet Sauvignon, but Garnacha and Cariñena still predominate.

Rías Baixas. This low-land, coastal region in Galicia, bordering Portugal, is known for its fresh, light Albariños.

Rueda. A Castilian region known for its white wines — Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and blends of the two — as well as Tempranillo.

Tierra de Castilla. The historic heartland of Castilian Spain includes the wine zones Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro and Bierzo.

Toro. Located within Tierra de Castilla, the region is known for its intense Tempranillos. Garnachas and Cabernets also are grown in the high-elevation vineyards.

Valencia. The region surrounding the Mediterranean town of Valencia encompasses the Alicante, Valencia and Utiel-Requena zones, which grow a wide variety of grapes.

Grape varieties

Albariño. A white wine grape native to Galicia known for producing wines with fresh peachy flavors, but it can also produce wines with the potential to gain complexity with age.

Garnacha. A grape widely grown throughout Spain’s northern regions, it adds spicy, cherry flavors to traditional Rioja red wines. Known in France as Grenache.

Macabeo. Also known as Viura, this white wine grape used in Spain’s sparkling cavas is the main white wine of Rioja and Navarra.

Mencía. A red wine grape that grows on hillside slopes and terraces in Bierzo, it’s often blended with Garnacha to make an early-drinking wine.

Tempranillo. The predominant red wine grape throughout Spain, it makes long-lasting, fragrant, fruity wines. It’s the backbone of traditional Riojas.

Verdejo. A white grape considered one of Spain’s best; it makes aromatic wines with character.

Sources: “The New Spain: A Complete Guide to Contemporary Spanish Wine” by John Radford, 2004; “The Wines of Spain” by Julian Jeffs, 1999

-- Corie Brown