Spain is a vast and diverse country when it comes to wine and like much of the world, has benefited greatly from improvements in viticultural sciences, wine-making technology and communications which has led to a revolution of style and quality over the last few decades. However, despite still being the 3rd largest producer of wine in the world, I feel that our quality wines aren’t well understood or represented outside of a few niche retail outlets and restaurants. Spain is often described as a ‘sleeping giant’ and there’s certainly some truth to that. Despite being the biggest exporter of wine in the world by some distance on volume, we’re 3rd when it comes to value. A great deal of our wine is still disappearing in tankers to the south of France or appearing for outrageously low prices on UK supermarket shelves which is not good for the longevity of our own brand, whilst also managing to really irritate French producers in the process. Not only that but Spaniards are drinking less wine than ever before, with consumption declining year by year, and barely half of what it was in the 1960’s.

Not all is doom and gloom however as there are a lot of producers in Spain working hard not only to improve the quality of their wine but also to educate consumers and make them aware of the differences in style and quality of what they’re making. Artadi have famously left DOC Rioja in protest at what they perceive to be a lack of support for quality minded producers, Catalunya has introduced Spain’s only real single-vineyard system, Cava is in the process of finalising a system to recognise and support premium, terroir-linked expressions of their wine and high altitude wines from Madrid and Galicia are gaining support for their cooler, fresher styles of local grape varieties. So what’s the future for Spanish wine? It’s hard to say, as we’re still losing ground to beer, gin and cocktails but there does seem to be a better level of engagement at the quality end of the spectrum, which is no bad thing. With that in mind, here are the regions and styles I’m going to really dig into this year in some depth, as they’re the ones I’m most excited about.

Rioja

I consider Rioja to be the greatest wine region in Spain, which is not a popular opinion in my little corner of it. Historically it benefited greatly from the phylloxera epidemic that essentially reset wine as we knew it across the world and spent most of the 20th century leading the way in terms of wine regulation, innovation and, very importantly, marketing. Today it’s a tale of two halves; cheap, nasty Rioja that you’ll find on your supermarket shelves are best to be avoided and are a constant thorn in the side of quality minded producers who want to link their wines to specific sub-regions, villages and vineyards and have this recognised on the labelling. However, much like Cava, as soon as you leave this zone and move upwards of €10 a bottle, the wine gets very good, very quickly.

Stylistically you can expect two types of red wines; the more extracted ‘modern’ style that often spends time in French oak and resembles Ribera del Duero in profile, and the more traditional style that undergoes a long maceration, fermentation and ageing process and is often aged in American oak, or more commonly a mixture of the two. It’s not only red wines either, with some of the very best white wines I’ve tried from Spain hailing from Rioja; usually creamy, floral barrel fermented Viura and Malvasia. In 2017 I’m looking forward to investigating more of the single-vineyard expressions of Rioja as well as saving my pennies and trying some of the premium expressions from my favourite producers. I hope the Consejo Regulador finally gets its act together and allows for more specific labelling practice although I’m not holding my breath here!

Favourite producers: La Rioja Alta, Muga, Allende, Marques de Murrieta, Lopez de Heredia, Ramirez de Ganuza

Producers to drink more of: Artadi, Remulluri, Artuke, Olivier Rivière, Oxer Wines

Costers del Segre

When it comes to new, exciting wines Catalunya is always right in the mix. A lot of attention has been made recently over the quality of white wines from Terra Alta and Emporda. However, clearly I’m going to different tastings as the wines I’ve tried from Costers del Segre have been a mile ahead of either, both in individuality and wine-making quality. Costers del Segre is often overlooked as it’s completely dominated by Raimat, a good quality producer with a broad portfolio of wines but unfortunately who also cast a very long shadow.

Whilst there are some very good red wines being produced, I foresee the future of Costers del Segre being based on white wines, both types often made from a blend of indigenous and international grape varieties, the two rivals being Chardonnay and Macabeo. Of the wines that really stood out for me, Macabeo was always involved at some level and I can’t think of another region where this relatively humble grape showcases itself quite so well. Simpler versions are high in acidity, very refreshing and showcase a nice mixture of florality and citrus fruit whereas the most interesting examples are usually barrel fermented, which the grape takes to well. I’m looking forward to trying more premium examples of Macabeo as well as exploring some of the more unusual international blends that usually fall flat in other regions.

Favourite producers: Clos Pons, Castell del Remei , Costers del Sió , Raimat, Vall de Baldomar

Producers to drink more of: Cérvoles Celler , Cooperativa L’Olivera , Castell d’Encús

Ribeira Sacra

Now here’s a region that’s been turning some heads over the last few years, both locally and abroad. Quite literally the ‘sacred hillside’, Ribeira Sacra has more or less designed the blueprint for cooler climate Mencia in Spain, for which it is becoming deservedly famous. It’s also one of the most visually stunning wine regions in Spain, if not the world, and more and more enotourists are discovering the rolling hills and meandering rivers as much as they are the excellent wine.

Whilst there are some very good white wines being made from Godello, Treixadura and Loureira the real strength of Ribeira Sacra is red wines made from Mencia. Not only that, but other, often indigenous varieties, are starting to be produced in quality wine with Merenzao probably the most exciting. Most reds from Ribeira Sacra tend to be lower in alcohol, high in acidity and are mostly unoaked. In the case of Mencia it showcases itself beautifully with signature notes of violets, white pepper, raspberries and wild herbs. Delicious even when young and best of all, these wines don’t command premium prices and work exceptionally well in the heat of Spanish summer. In 2017 I’m looking forward to trying as many of the indigenous grapes as possible whilst stocking up on relatively inexpensive, high quality wines for the warmer months. It’s a hard life.

Favourite prodiucers: Raul Perez, Dominio do Bibei , Fedellos do Couto , Guimaro

Producers to drink more of: Anything I can get my hands on!

Cava

One of Spain’s most famous vinous productions and a huge part of everyday life in Catalunya; the one wine that never seems to fade from popularity. Cava is a very unusual appellation in the respect that it isn’t limited to a single geographic location, and can indeed be made in as many as 8 regions throughout the country, although the vast majority is made within Penedes and indeed, Sant Sadurni d’Anoia in particular. Cava must be made in the traditional method and has to be aged on the lees for a minimum of 9 months before disgorgement. However, as mentioned earlier with Rioja, the real beauty of Cava lies in the better quality versions over € 10 a bottle with extended lees ageing and high quality base wines.

The real development in Cava is the clear need for a system that showcases these better wines, especially those linked to a specific plot of land known as a ‘Paraje’. The new classification is set to be rolled out in early 2017 and reads like a who’s-who of my favourite Cava producers. It’s long overdue as Cava has been producing some top class wines for a while now, often under the radar even locally, and hopefully this will give some more visibility to the quality potential of the industry and showcase to other regions across Spain that a link to terroir is a positive step forward. In 2017 I’m looking forward to drinking my way across as many quality producers as possible and trying more cavas made from indigenous red grapes such as Sumoll and Trepat. I have an exam on sparkling wine in March 2017, so it’s a great excuse to indulge myself a little.

Favourite producers: Recaredo, Gramona, Raventos i Blanc, Llopart, Alta Alella, Mestres

Producers to drink more of: Juve y Camps, Sabate i Coca, Agusti Torello, Pares Balta, Albert i Noya

It looks like I have a lot of drinking to do this year! If you live in Barcelona and you’re interested to learn more about Spanish wine, don’t forget to check out Maestrazgo Wine Club where we meet on a regular basis to discover and drink wines from not only across Spain, but the world of wine as well.