<h2><strong>Primary White Varieties</strong></h2>
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<strong>Airén</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Most planted white grape in Spain</li>
	<li>La Mancha</li>
	<li>Most planted white grape in the world</li>
	<li>Low quality grape</li>
	<li>With modern techniques can make acceptable wine</li>
	<li>Being replaced</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Albariño</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Important grape in Galicia</li>
	<li>Very beloved to Spaniards</li>
	<li>Many styles: from a more peachy, fruity style to a lean, steely profile</li>
	<li>Generally made to be consumed young</li>
	<li>Some interesting aging experiments being done</li>
	<li>Can be pricy but prices have come down due to crisis</li>
	<li>Quality can be variable if yields are too high and viticultural practices poor</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Godello</strong>
<ul>
	<li>High quality, aromatic grape native to Galicia</li>
	<li>Decent acidity and often shows mineral notes in good terroir</li>
	<li>Backbone white grape of the Valdeorras and Bierzo DOs</li>
	<li>Quickly gaining popularity</li>
	<li>Experiments with aging and oak are underway</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

<strong>Macabeo</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Also known as Viura</li>
	<li>Macabeo is cultivated all over northern Spain</li>
	<li>In the DO Cava regions it is combined with Xarel-lo and Parrelada</li>
	<li>It is the dominant white grape in Rioja and Navarra</li>
	<li>Can appear in these regions in an oak-aged style</li>
	<li>Criticized for its neutral characteristics, but with care it can make attractive herbal wines.</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Moscatel</strong>
<ul>
	<li>This grape is the Muscat d'Alexandrie of the Muscat family</li>
	<li>Used in the Levant, Cataluña, and Andalucia to make sweet dessert wines</li>
	<li>These are generally excellent value wines though generally simple</li>
	<li>Very distinctive grape:  highly aromatic, floral</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Palomino</strong>
<ul>
	<li>This is the main dry sherry grape</li>
	<li>It does extremely well on the chalky soils near Jerez</li>
	<li>Planted elsewhere produces largely unremarkable table wines.</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Parellada</strong>
<ul>
	<li>One of the primary Cava grapes</li>
	<li>Also used in Cataluña for soft everyday drinking whites.</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Pedro Ximenez</strong>
<ul>
	<li>This is the grape that makes the great sweet wines of Andalucia</li>
	<li>Dried to raisins and then pressed to make a thick, sweet wine</li>
	<li>Ages extremely well</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Verdejo</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Principle variety of Rueda</li>
	<li>With modern wine-making techniques makes a top quality crisp and citric flavoured wine</li>
	<li>Pleasant bitter finish</li>
	<li>These wines are among some of the best value white wines in Spain</li>
	<li>Experiments are underway with barrel fermentation and aging</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Xarel-lo</strong>
<ul>
	<li>The third of the primary Cava varieties</li>
	<li>Adds weight and alcohol to the blend</li>
</ul>
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<h2><strong>Red grape varieties</strong></h2>
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<strong>Bobal</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Highly colored grape found in the Levant</li>
	<li>Gives hearty rosados and reds</li>
	<li>Previously known for being coarse</li>
	<li>Careful modern techniques can make very interesting wines</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

<strong>Cariñena</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Also called Mazuelo in Rioja</li>
	<li>A robust grape that is an important part of the Rioja blend</li>
	<li>Giving color and body</li>
	<li>Also used in Cataluña, where it is also used as a natural partner to Garnacha</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Garnacha</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Likely the most widely planted red grape in Spain (despite the credit given to Tempranillo)</li>
	<li>High yielding variety that makes a great blending grape</li>
	<li>At low yields and with older vines, it can produce stellar wines</li>
	<li>Oxidizes easily</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Graciano</strong>
<ul>
	<li>A low-yielding grape that is a high quality part of the Rioja blend</li>
	<li>It is seeing a resurgence in popularity</li>
	<li>It has thick skins that give wines with a lot of tannin</li>
	<li>They can be tough early on but they age extremely well</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Mencía</strong>
<ul>
	<li>High quality grape that is seeing a surge in popularity</li>
	<li>Many high quality examples are being produced in the Bierzo DO and the Valdeorras DO</li>
	<li>It gives fresh, tannic, racy wines with an elegant profile...the best have mineral notes</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

<strong>Monastrell (Mourvedre)</strong>
<ul>
	<li>High yielding variety that produces highly colored, alcoholic wines</li>
	<li>In the right hands it can produce excellent wines</li>
	<li>Its new reputation for quality wines is being led in Jumilla</li>
	<li>It is also used to make some interesting sweet wines.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

<strong>Prieto Picudo</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Rising in popularity in various parts of Castilla Leon</li>
	<li>The best wines can be quite tannic and acidic with interesting cherry fruit</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

<strong>Tempranillo</strong>
<ul>
	<li>Spain's top native red grape</li>
	<li>It is cultivated throughout Spain and has many names depending on the region:</li>
	<li>Cencibel in southern Spain</li>
	<li>Tinto Fino, Tinto del Pais and Tinta de Toro in Castile Leon</li>
	<li>Ull de Llebre in Cataluña</li>
	<li>It gives high quality wines at all levels</li>
	<li>May diverse styles…it is sometimes criticized for lacking a dominant varietal character.</li>
</ul>
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