"tempranillo" news and stories

Spanish wines continue to be a great value. For less than $15, it's not difficult to find a bottle that will blow your mind. The country continues to produce a variety of Tempranillo styles on the red side and Albariño and Verdejo as two white-wine examples. Food pairings run the gamut, but we do like Tempranillo with grilled foods – from steak to vegetables – and the whites match up nicely with summer salads, especially those with acidic fruits or spicy kicks.

After the jump, find seven Spanish wines we've recently sipped and enjoyed -- a mix of reds and whites.

Photo: Campo Viejo.

Gretchen Roberts writes the wine blog Vinobite, has passed the introductory course at the Court of Master Sommeliers and is studying for her sommelier certification this fall.

Spanish wine sales are up even during the recession, which comes as no surprise, since Spain offers outstanding value for the price.

One of the premier wine regions in the country, Rioja is at the top of its game, delivering excellent-quality wine for a fraction of prices elsewhere -- especially since so much of the wine is held back and aged, which costs money, rather than getting rushed to market.

More Rioja after the jump.

Spanish wines are hot right now--both for their awesome factor and because the ones that get imported to the U.S. tend to deliver good value, even those from the best regions like Rioja and Priorat. Rioja is the classic Spanish wine region, with reds made mostly from the powerful Tempranillo grape with a few other grapes thrown in the blend.

Rioja is classified into different levels according to how long it's aged, so if you like a wine with more oak and subtler fruit, pick one of the older (and generally more expensive) versions, and if you're in the mood for something younger and fresher, try the young Rioja.

• Rioja: aged in barrel for less than a year.
• Crianza: aged at least two years, at least one of which was in oak.
• Reserva: aged at least three years, at least one of which was in oak.
• Gran Reserva: aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle.

More Rioja - Wine of the Week after the jump.