Lush and tasty red wines of Spain

In my introductory article about value-priced wines I indicated that I would be talking about specific wine-producing regions and countries that are currently making some of the best wines between $10 and $20. One of those countries is Spain.

You may be familiar with the wineproducing regions of Rioja and Ribera Del Duero, but in my estimation the wines made there are either too pricey for the quality or of inferior quality for the price.

Some of the lesser-known regions producing high quality wines at reasonable prices include the three regions that I discuss below.

They are: the Jumilla wine regions in southeastern Spain that is inland from the Mediterranean Sea; the Alamansa wine region located in eastern Spain west of Alicante and Murcia, Spain; and the Navarre wine region, which is in northern Spain south of Pamplona and the southwestern border of France.

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All of these wine regions have an ideal climate and classic soil for producing grapes, in particular three of the grapes that are the basis for a majority of Spanish red wines, the Garnacha, the Monastrell and the Tempranillo grape.

The wines made with these grapes tend to be heavily extracted thus dark in color, full-bodied and intensely flavored red wines that stand up well to richly flavored foods that are traditional to Spain.

The following recommended red wines from these regions hold true to that description.

2008 Atalaya Red Blend ($15.49):

This wine is a blend primarily made up of Monastrell and Garnacha grapes from the Alamansa wine region of Spain located in eastern part of the country just inland to the west from Alicante and Murcia.

As you pour this wine it has the color of deep ruby in the glass. When you bring the glass to your nose you will sense the aromas of red plum, raspberry and red cherry with notes of leather.

As you taste this medium-bodied red wine flavors of dried plum, black cherry and blackberry with hints of spice, coco and white pepper will mingle on your taste buds.

This wine would do well with a hearty traditional Spanish meal or a dessert made with rich dark chocolate. You can find this wine at Kokoman.

2007 Panarroz Red Wine ($13.99):

This wine comes from the Jumilla wine region in southeastern Spain inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is made up primarily of the Monastrell grape. In the glass this wine has a deep purple color characteristic of highly extracted red wines.

It has fruity aromatics highlighted by the distinct smell of black currant. When you drink this wine you will notice jammy blue fruit flavors with a hint of leather. The finish on this wine is soft and sweet with silky tannins.

Food pairings for this wine include grilled game or other grilled meats or vegetables. This wine may be purchased at the Wine Shop at the OBL.

2007 Puntazo Garnacha ($16.99):

This wine is produced in the Navarre wine region in northern Spain south of Pamplona and the southwest border of France. It is entirely made up of the Garnacha grape that is native to Spain. The color of this wine is, again, a deep purple.

It has the brambleberry aromas of wild raspberry and black cherry. Those flavors follow as you drink this wine. The light tannins and acidity lead to a pure satisfying finish.

This wine would pair well with the traditional Spanish paella or grilled seafood. This wine is available at the Wine Shop at the OBL.

If you haven’t tried Spanish wines produced in some of the up and coming wine regions of the country lately, I strongly encourage you to do so.

They are lush and tasty and would pair well with some of the traditional New Mexican dishes.

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