<strong>Primary White Varieties</strong>

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Airén
<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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Albariño
<ul>
	<li>Important grape in Galicia</li>
	<li>Very trendy</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>Another trend is barrel fermentation and/or aging</li>
</ul>
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Godello
<ul>
	<li>High quality, aromatic grape native to Galicia</li>
	<li>Good acidity and often shows mineral notes</li>
	<li>Backbone of the Valdeorras and Bierzo Dos</li>
	<li>Quickly gaining popularity</li>
	<li>Experiments with aging and oak are underway</li>
</ul>
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Macabeo
<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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Moscatel
<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</li>
	<li>Very distinctive grape:  highly aromatic, floral</li>
</ul>
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Palomino
<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 wines.</li>
</ul>
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Parellada
<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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Pedro Ximenez
<ul>
	<li>This is the grape that makes the great sweet wines of Andalucia</li>
	<li>Dry to raisins and then pressed to make a thick, sweet wine</li>
	<li>Ages extremely well</li>
</ul>
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Verdejo
<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 in Spain and best value</li>
	<li>Experiments are underway with barrel fermentation and aging</li>
</ul>
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Xarel-lo
<ul>
	<li>The third of the primary Cava varieties</li>
	<li>Adds weight and alcohol to the blend</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Red grape varieties</strong>

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Bobal

Highly colored grape found in the Levant

Gives hearty rosados and reds

Previously for being coarse

Careful modern techniques can make very interesting wines

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Cariñena

Also called Mazuelo in Rioja

A robust grape that is an important part of the Rioja blend

Giving color and body

Also used in Cataluña, where it is also used as a natural partner toGarnacha

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Garnacha

Likely the most widely planted red grape in Spain

High yielding variety that makes a great blending grape

At low yields and older vines, it can produce stellar wines

Oxidizes easily

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Graciano

A low-yielding grape that is a high quality part of the Rioja blend

It is seeing a resurgence

It has thick skins that give wines with a lot of tannin

They can be tough early on but they age extremely well

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Mencía

High quality grape that is seeing a surge in popularity

Many high quality examples are being produced in the Bierzo DO and the Valdeorras DO

It gives fresh, tannic wines with an elegant profile

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Monastrell

High yielding variety that produces highly colored, alcoholic wines

In the right hands it can produce excellent wines

Its new reputation for quality wines is being led in Murcia

It is also used to make some interesting sweet wines.

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Prieto Picudo

Rising in popularity in various parts of Castilla Leon

The best wines can be quite tannic and acidic with interesting cherry fruit

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Tempranillo

Spain's top native red grape

It is cultivated throughout Spain and has many names depending on the region:

Cencibel in southern Spain

Tinto Fino, Tinto del Pais and Tinta de Toro in Castile Leon

Tinta de Toro in Toro

Ull de Llebre in Cataluña

It gives high quality wines at all levels, with great strawberry fruit

Mainly diverse styles…it is sometimes criticized for lacking a dominant varietal character.

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