Spain, Argentina
Spain is definitely one of the new-world players to keep an eye on. It is the land of old-vines, american oak and sherry! The main varieties grown in Spain are Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) in the reds, and Airén, Viura/Macabeo, Verdejo and Albarino for the whites. Lesser grown whites include Palomino. Other reds successfully cultivated include Carignan, Mourvedre and Mencia.
Although Spain can be quite a warm country, the vast majority of vineyards are 600m or so above sea level, so the cooler nights allow the grapes to develop full colour and acidity.
Rioja is undoubtedly the long-standing king of all the Spanish wine regions, where Tempranillo and Garnacha are commonly blended. However more recently many more regions have come to the forefront of interest. Ribera Del Duero is producing excellent Tempranillo blends rivalling those coming out of Rioja. Jerez in the South is the home of the fortified wine Sherry.
Spanish wine laws created the Denominación de Origen (DO) system in 1932 and were later revised in 1970. These include:
The wine industry in Argentina has had one of the fastest growth rates in the wine world and now claims to be the fifth largest wine producer in the world. Much like certain aspects of Argentine cuisine, the wine industry too has its roots in Spain. Vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in the 1600s.
Up until the 1980s, Argentina was known for producing more 'quantity' wine over 'quality' wine, but that has changed with winemakers across the board lifting their game. There is no doubt that Malbec is the grape on which Argentina's international reputation as a wine-producing nation is founded. Whilst it is a difficult grape to grow, the climate and conditions around Mendoza and in particular the Uco Valley is ideally suited to producing world-class wine.
The most popular varieties planted out in Argentina would be Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Tempranillo.
Although Spain can be quite a warm country, the vast majority of vineyards are 600m or so above sea level, so the cooler nights allow the grapes to develop full colour and acidity.
Rioja is undoubtedly the long-standing king of all the Spanish wine regions, where Tempranillo and Garnacha are commonly blended. However more recently many more regions have come to the forefront of interest. Ribera Del Duero is producing excellent Tempranillo blends rivalling those coming out of Rioja. Jerez in the South is the home of the fortified wine Sherry.
Spanish wine laws created the Denominación de Origen (DO) system in 1932 and were later revised in 1970. These include:
- - Denominación de Origen Calificada (formerly called DOCa) Priorat calls itself DOQ for Denominació d'Origen Qualificada in Catalan and has a track record of consistent quality and is meant to be a step above DO level.
- - Denominación de Origen (DO)- Used for mainstream-quality wine regions. Nearly two thirds of the total vineyard area in Spain is within the boundaries of a DO region.
- - Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) - This is somewhat of a stepping stone to DO status.
- - Vinos de la Tierra (VdIT) - A level similar to France's vin de pays system, where the regions are much larger.
- - Vino de Mesa (VdM)- The equivalent of 'table wines' from France or Italy
The wine industry in Argentina has had one of the fastest growth rates in the wine world and now claims to be the fifth largest wine producer in the world. Much like certain aspects of Argentine cuisine, the wine industry too has its roots in Spain. Vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in the 1600s.
Up until the 1980s, Argentina was known for producing more 'quantity' wine over 'quality' wine, but that has changed with winemakers across the board lifting their game. There is no doubt that Malbec is the grape on which Argentina's international reputation as a wine-producing nation is founded. Whilst it is a difficult grape to grow, the climate and conditions around Mendoza and in particular the Uco Valley is ideally suited to producing world-class wine.
The most popular varieties planted out in Argentina would be Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Tempranillo.
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An impressively complete and versatile wine suitable for immediate appreciation. Rich, yet elegant with beautiful flavours, softness and very approachable - this is great quality for the price! The nose shows ripe redcurrants, wild strawberries, dried herbs and some savoury ... Learn MoreMarques De Tezona Tempranillo 2018$12.00 Per item -
An impressively complete and versatile wine suitable for immediate appreciation. Rich, yet elegant with beautiful flavours, softness and very approachable - this is great quality for the price! The nose shows ripe redcurrants, wild strawberries, dried herbs and some savoury ... Learn MoreMarques De Tezona Tempranillo 2017$12.00 Per itemOut of stock -
A great value tempranillo with an inviting nose of ripe dark berries and plums with hints of smoked spice. An elegant, medium bodied palate with lots of ripe red berried fruit and smoky spice. All supported by fine graphite tannins. ... Learn MoreAltacena Tempranillo 2019$12.99 Per item -
A great value tempranillo with an inviting nose of ripe dark berries and plums with hints of smoked spice. An elegant, medium bodied palate with lots of ripe red berried fruit and smoky spice. All supported by fine graphite tannins. ... Learn MoreAltacena Tempranillo 2018$12.99 Per itemOut of stock -
A fun, fruity wine, perfect to enjoy every day with a snack or any Mediterranean dishes, like rice, vegetable or pasta. This wine is representative of the virtues of the Tempranillo variety: intense floral aromas, very fresh red and dark ... Learn MoreAlegro Rioja Tinto Tempranillo 2019$19.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Very bright and cherry red in colour leading to ripe red fruited aromas and flavours combined with subtle vanilla, mocha and liquorice notes. The palate is fleshy and mouth-filling with soft, juicy fruit, soft acidity and supple tannins. A very ... Learn MoreVina Muriel Rioja Crianza 2015$19.99 Per item -
Selected small vineyards around the winery, in Salnes Valley, in the heart of the Rias Baixas appellation (in Galicia - Northwestern Spain). The soil is granite, quite rich in quartz but poor in organic components, with a sandy texture. The ... Learn MorePazo Cilleiro Albarino 2019$21.99 Per item -
Selected small vineyards around the winery, in Salnes Valley, in the heart of the Rias Baixas appellation (in Galicia - Northwestern Spain). The soil is granite, quite rich in quartz but poor in organic components, with a sandy texture. The ... Learn MorePazo Cilleiro Albarino 2018$21.99 Per itemOut of stock -
The Finca Nueva Rosado is made for easy and enjoyable drinking. From the creator of Finca Allende, these wines over deliver on expectations. Miguel Ángel de Gregorio, one of the great revolutionaries pushing for modernity in Rioja, is the man ... Learn MoreFinca Nueva Rioja Rosado 2016$23.99 Per itemOut of stock -
A representative wine of the new Rioja style, interpreted from modernity. Elegant, balanced and reliable on any occasion, with classic aromas of red fruit and vanilla and subtle hints of liquorice and toffee. Versatile with all kinds of Mediterranean dishes ( ... Learn MoreAlegro Rioja Crianza 2017$24.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Exclusively imported by United Cellars, this outstanding value Argentinian Malbec is a consistent favourite of staff and our regular customers. Displaying a fresh and fruity nose, enhanced by hints of plums, black berries and a touch of vanilla. The palate ... Learn MoreOut of stock -
Nicola Cantena planted his first Malbvec vineyard in Mendoza in 1902! This wine goes through an extensive cold maceration for 5 days at 48ºF (8,8ºC) to extract aromas. The juice is then fermented for 26 days with a post-fermentation maceration of 24 days. Wild ... Learn MoreEsquinas De Argento Malbec 2018$24.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Classic ruby red with a terracotta hue. Lifted aromas of red berries, cola, vanilla and subtle garden herbs. Ripe fruit flavour is pulled elegantly firm with fine sandy tannins and perky, refreshing acidity. This is an expressive yet refined Tempranillo ... Learn MoreVina Muriel Rioja Reserva 2015$25.99 Per item -
The Catena wines are a special assemblage of High Mountain Estate Vineyards made by fourth generation vintner, Laura Catena and chief winemaker, Alejandro Vigil. Although we have found that most of the Catena wines are consumed shortly after release, we ... Learn MoreBodega Catena Zapata Malbec 2017$29.89 Per itemOut of stock -
Pérez's entry-level Mencía comes from multiple remote parcels of 30- to 60-year-old vines dotted around the slate-rich hillsides of Valtuille and Villafranca del Bierzo. The blend also takes in a splash of Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) for added ... Learn MoreMengoba Bierzo Brezo Mencía 2019$29.99 Per item -
A creamy, full-bodied red with plum and berry character. Nice purity of fruit to this. Its full-bodied and layered with polish and beauty. Lovely tannins here. - James Suckling Exopto is Latin for to long for or to desire greatly ... Learn MoreBodegas Exopto Rioja Bozeto de Exopto 2019$29.99 Per item -
The alliance of character and elegance. For lovers of high-end wine, the unique Franco-Argentinian character of Terrazas de los Andes takes the experience even higher and even further. ... Learn MoreTerrazas De Los Andes Reserva Chardonnay 2019$29.99 Per item -
Totally opaque black dark red core with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Lifted aromas of violets, ripe dark cherries, hints of blueberry and liquorice merge into elements of dried herbs, lightly scorched vanillin cedar and spice. Medium bodied ... Learn MoreTerrazas De Los Andes Reserva Malbec 2018$29.99 Per item -
Totally opaque black dark red core with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Lifted aromas of violets, ripe dark cherries, hints of blueberry and liquorice merge into elements of dried herbs, lightly scorched vanillin cedar and spice. Medium bodied ... Learn MoreTerrazas De Los Andes Reserva Malbec 2016$29.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Pale straw-green; a mown grass, hedgerow, nutty bouquet. The palate is vibrant, fresh and crunchy, with a classic dry finish, lingering long, with no phenolics, and a fresh breeze aftertaste. - James Halliday From the stellar Equipo Navazos stable, this ... Learn More -
A family owned finca or single vineyard of 22 hectares at the village of Moja, near Vilafranca del Penedes in the centre of the main zone of production for quality Cava. Cava is an anomaly within the world of wine appellations, ... Learn MoreTorreblanca Cava Brut 2018$34.99 Per item -
The cold climate, vast thermal amplitude and humidity, together with stony soils rich in calcium carbonates and sustainable vineyard management, offer unique conditions to produce Chardonnay grapes of the highest quality. Winemaking with minimal intervention produces an exceptional expression of ... Learn MoreBodegas Salentein Barrel Selection Chardonnay 2020$34.99 Per item -
The Catena wines are a special assemblage of High Mountain Estate Vineyards made by fourth generation vintner, Laura Catena and chief winemaker, Alejandro Vigil. Although we have found that most of the Catena wines are consumed shortly after release, we ... Learn MoreCatena Malbec 2018$34.99 Per item -
The cold climate, vast thermal amplitude and humidity, together with stony soils rich in calcium carbonates and sustainable vineyard management, offer unique conditions to produce Chardonnay grapes of the highest quality. Winemaking with minimal intervention produces an exceptional expression of ... Learn MoreBodegas Salentein Barrel Selection Chardonnay 2019$34.99 Per itemOut of stock -
A clear example of the elegance and silkiness of Rioja Reservas but with a more modern profile. With the complexity of long ageing in the barrel and bottle, and the delicateness of the Tempranillo. A wine with intense aromas of ... Learn MoreAlegro Rioja Reserva 2014$34.99 Per itemOut of stock -
It all began in 1885 when an ancestor of the Prada family, passionately believing in the nobility of the Godello grape variety, planted the first vines on the high, slatey hillsides of the Sil valley. Fashioned from the Estate's younger vineyards ... Learn MoreValdesil Montenovo Blanco 2019$36.99 Per item -
The Toro Albalá winery began in the heart of Southern Cordoba in 1922, which is famous for its wine region Montilla-Moriles. The Don PX wines come from the youngest, sweet vintage wines of Toro Albalá. Wonderfully pure, grapey examples of Pedro ... Learn MoreToro Albala Don PX Cosecha 2018 375ml$37.99 Per item -
Alejandro Fernandez's Dehesa La Granja is a striking 100% ungrafted, 'old-clone' Tempranillo. Highly aromatic, there are plenty of dark cherry, cola, and anise notes and hints of blood and earth as well. Although gorgeous right now, this has the depth and ... Learn MoreDEHESA 'LA GRANJA' TINTO 2007$37.99 Per item -
This is as elegant an example of Garnacha as you are likely to find. Catalan winemaker Marc Isart Pinos is taking old vines, applying excellent viticultural work, fermenting in foudre (with some whole clusters used, as well as long maceration ... Learn More -
Exclusively imported by United Cellars, a multi-award winning Malbec from Argentina that is a real hearty and full-bodied wine. On the nose, it is intense and complex with outstanding aromas of red fruits, black berries, as well as delicate floral ... Learn MoreBodegas Salentein 'Barrel Selection' Malbec 2018$45.00 Per itemOut of stock -
A clear example of the elegance and silkiness of Rioja Reservas but with a more modern profile. With the complexity of long ageing in the barrel and bottle, and the delicateness of the Tempranillo. This Gran Reserva spends an incredible 24 ... Learn MoreAlegro Rioja Gran Reserva 2012$54.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Made from 100% Pedro Ximénez, the dominant grape variety in Montilla-Moriles. It's a fino that differs from its Jerez counterparts on two counts: firstly it is made from 100% Pedro Ximénez and secondly it is not fortified (as the grapes ... Learn MoreToro Albala Fino Electrico Bombilla 750Ml$58.99 Per itemOut of stock -
It's naturally fermented, vinified in concrete vats and aged in low toast French and Russian oak for just 12 months. Forest fruits on the nose with some cherry aromas. There are also some earthy notes and hints of liquorice. Has liquorice, ... Learn MoreValenciso Reserva Rioja 2012$59.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Made from 75% Grenache and 25% Carignan. "It fermented with full clusters in stainless steel, where it was kept until bottling. It's a fruit-driven, light, refreshing Mediterranean blend with notes of licorice and wild berries. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins ... Learn MoreTerroir Al Limit Priorat Historic Negre 2017$59.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Toro Albalá put aside select lots of their best vintage wines for later release under this label. These rich and complex Pedro Ximénez wines are destined for very long ageing in oak barrels. After filling and sealing, these barrels ... Learn MoreToro Albala Don Px 1994 (Half Bottle 375Ml)$62.99 Per item -
There is no time limit for storage of this, and it improves with age even in opened bottle. Balsamic on the nose with pronounced notes of carob bean, marinades, liquorice, and raisined plums. These fragrances suddenly evolve into marked herbal ... Learn MoreToro Albala Don Px Gran Reserva 1990 (Half Bottle 375Ml)$62.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Exclusively imported by United Cellars - Bodegas Salentein is the heart and soul of the Uco Valley. Aromas of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, combined with floral hints and delicate notes of vanilla and spices granted by its oak ageing. In ... Learn MoreBodegas Salentein Primus Malbec 2017$69.99 Per item -
Exclusively imported by United Cellars - Bodegas Salentein is the heart and soul of the Uco Valley. Aromas of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, combined with floral hints and delicate notes of vanilla and spices granted by its oak ageing. In ... Learn MoreBodegas Salentein Primus Malbec 2016$69.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Santamanía's unique choice comes from the highest Mountain in Spain, the volcano of Mount Teide in Tenerife. The water that makes its way through the underground volcanic galleries of Tiede derive from the humid trade winds that come off ... Learn MoreSantamania Premium Grape Vodka (700Ml)$69.99 Per item -
The wine that marks the beginning of a new stage in the history of this great Rioja classic interprets the personality of the old Tempranillo vines that grow in the surroundings of the town of Ollauri in a fresh and ... Learn MoreBodegas Ollauri Conde De Los Andes Tempranillo 2013$70.00 Per itemOut of stock
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