Vin rouge d'Espagne

Spain is one of the largest wine producing countries in the world with reds to suit any taste. While Tempranillo and Garnacha are some of the most common grapes in the country, you'll find plenty of wines composed of Bobal, Mencía, Monastrell, plus international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon. Spanish Reds are often distinguished by their age. Younger wines are typically fresh with bright fruit notes, like fresh cherry and strawberry, while older wines that have spent time maturing in oak bring forth dried fruit, chocolate, and spices. For a hint on how your wine might taste, look for these aging classifications on the label: Joven - These young wines are meant to be drunk within 1-2 years of bottling. Roble - This indicates that your Joven wine has spent 3-6 months in oak. Crianza - It takes 2 years aging to reach this category, with 6 months spent in oak. Reserva - For these wines, 3 years of aging are required, 1 of which is spent in oak. Gran Reserva - The most ambitious classification requires 5 years of aging, 18 months of which are in the barrel. If you're looking at a Spanish subregion, like Rioja, these requirements will slightly differ. But as you can see, aging is important for Spanish Reds and hopefully learning a bit about the differences will help you choose the right one!