Types of Spanish Red Wine

While Italy and France are the two largest wine producers in the world, another large producer is Spain. In fact, Spain has the most hectares--1 hectare is equivalent to approximately 2.5 acres--of wine plantations in the world. Spain mainly produces high quality red wines and there are a variety of different types of Spanish red wine ranging in flavor and age.

Tempranillo

  • Tempranillo is one of the most popular Spanish red wines and is made from tempranillo grapes, a very aromatic black grape, which are grown in most of the wine regions in Spain including Ribera Del Duero, Penedés and Rioja. This wine has a very robust and dry flavor and a very deep red color. Because of its strong flavor, this wine goes best with strong foods such as red meats.

Malaga

  • In contrast to the robust flavor of Tempranillo wine, Malaga is a more sweet and smooth red wine. Malaga wine is made from a combination of two types of grapes---ximinez and moscatel---which are grown in various regions of Spain. Because of its sweet flavor and aroma, Malaga is best served as a dessert wine.

Garnacha

  • Similarly to Malaga, Garnacha is also a sweet red wine. It has a very sweet and fruity flavor which makes it easier to drink for many people than the stronger flavored Spanish wines. Another interesting aspect about this wine is that it tends to have a higher alcohol content than most other Spanish red wines. Because of its fruity flavor, it works best as a dessert wine.