Page 12 - Tesco Wine Club Magazine - March

SPAINOFF THE BEATEN
TRACK!
With more area under vine than any other country, Spain is the perfect destination if you like discovering delicious wines in out-of-the- way places. The ancient regions of Castilla y León and Aragón have some outstanding wines that are well worth searching out, as you can see from the notes I made on a recent visit. James Griswood, wine buyer for Spain
THE REGIONS
The regions of Castilla y León and Aragón first came to prominence over 500 years ago when King Ferdinand of Aragón married Queen Isabella of Castilla. Their union resulted in the birth of Catherine of Aragón: King Henry VIII’s first wife. When I visit either of these former kingdoms I can almost imagine myself back in the 15th century. Castilla y León (as it’s now known) is still dotted with fairytale castles and royal palaces, while sparsely-populated Aragón is a region of rolling countryside and ancient stone villages.
12 March 2010 Tesco Wine Club Magazine
..by James Griswood
THE GRAPES
Tempranillo Spain’s best known grape is grown throughout the country, most famously in Rioja.
It usually announces its presence with irresistible flavours of ripe strawberries.
Garnacha Although known in almost every other country as Grenache (its French name), Garnacha is Spanish through and through. It adores sunshine, producing big juicy wines that are jam-packed with wonderful red berry flavours.
Verdejo If you haven’t tried Verdejo before, just think of it as Spain’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc. It produces some of the country’s best whites, often intensely aromatic and full of zingy citrus fruit.
Garnacha growing in Cariñena