After a few years of organising wine tastings and meeting people from across the world who have an interest in Spanish wine, there remains a constant theme to how people view wines produced here: they’re good value for money. This isn’t always a view the Spanish wine industry is thrilled about, but one that it finds hard to shake. Is it true, though? I had a think about it and realised that I can’t actually be sure. This is partly due to my decision to drink as broadly as possible, but also due to the fact I rarely drink wines that would be considered “Good value” by your average consumer. Simply put, as I’ve been trying to wrap my head (and lips) around the framework for a global industry within a few years, it’s meant that pretty much all my income has gone towards that goal. Benchmark wines often carry hefty price tags, although there’s certainly been a bit of irresponsible cherry-picking along the way, and normally only expensive wines make it to the shores of Barcelona from distant lands. For example, you can get a decently made bottle of New Zealand Pinot Noir in the UK for a little above £10; good luck in Barcelona for less than €20-25.
Well, as fate would have it I’m now in an excellent position to investigate this further. Namely:
I appear to have ran out of money.
I no longer have to prepare for international tasting exams (famous last words)
I’ve always wanted to explore the idea (perceived wisdoms should be tested where-ever possible)
Well, it’s not like I’m going to suddenly stop drinking, is it?
So with that in mind, I winced at the remaining funds in my bank account and started to plot how to go about it. It might sound obvious at first, but there are a few issues to be taken into account. First and most importantly, where is the line drawn for ‘good value’? This has been discussed a few times and ultimately, it depends on your own finances. In my local bodega, I can remember more than a few times when potential customers have left in a huff because there’s no bottled wine for less than €4 available. On the other end, I’ve seen people goggling at €100+ wines in Monvinic that are ‘good value’ because they’re less than ½ the going market rate. Like most things in life, it’s all relative. The next decisions are mainly based around red/white/styles/quantity etc. This is a lot easier as, despite the relatively affordable wines I’d be looking at, there’s still only so many I can afford and so they balance out quite naturally against the budget.
The one criteria that I hadn’t previously considered was variety. Given we’re talking about value here, are we talking about value amongst the better known appellations of Spain, or as a general rule? When it comes to vinous powerhouses like Rioja, there are wines available at every price point and in a variety of styles. Would the same be true of someone popping into their local bodega in a small village in Andalucia? Given that my own Spanish drinking experience tends to hover around the same 10-15 appellations, it also seemed like a good opportunity to stretch my own taste buds and become better acquainted with wine from Ucles, Arribes, Menorca and Pla I Llevant. After a lot of thinking under the influence of an ill-advised 11pm coffee, I came up with the following list of rules for the experiment:
No bottle can have a retail value of more than €10 (I pulled the number out of the air. It’s arbitrary but feels about right)
Each wine must be red (easier to compare within a single style)
Each wine must come from a different region, ideally from a new (at least to me) producer or at least a wine within a portfolio I know, that I haven’t yet tried.
Where possible, opt for indigenous grape varieties over international
2 hours later, and I’ve ordered what is perhaps the most sensible wine order I’ve ever placed; at least in terms of cost per bottle if not in terms of quantity. 24 bottles of Spanish red wine, from 24 different regions and producers, each under €10 a bottle; €7.90 a bottle on average. They’ll all be drank over the coming 2 months, and I’ll post a detailed tasting note per wine as I go. Who knows if I’ll actually end up with a semblance of an answer to whether Spain really does offer good QPR at lower price points. It’ll be a valuable experience either way, I’m more likely to be able to pay my rent and it’s a great excuse to re-explore some of the ‘lesser’ wines of the country, as well as digging into regions to which I rarely, if ever, venture. Stay tuned for more, and for anyone who’s curious as to exactly what I’ll be drinking, the wines are below:
Wine | Region (DO, VdlT, etc) | Price (€) |
Alquez 2015 | Calatayud | 9,20 |
Finca La Estacada 12 Meses 2015 | Ucles | 6,90 |
Parotet Vermell 2016 | Valencia | 6,90 |
Benito Santos Joven 2015 | Monterrei | 8,20 |
Torremayor 2014 | Extremadura | 8,45 |
Calderona Crianza 2010 | Cigales | 7,95 |
Abadengo Roble 2014 | Arribes | 7,30 |
Merluzo Tinto 2016 | Menorca | 9,50 |
Botijo Rojo Garnacha 2015 | Valdejalon | 9,40 |
Gordo 2014 | Yecla | 9,50 |
Blau Marí 2016 | Tarragona | 6,30 |
Can Rich Yviça 2016 | Ibiza | 7,80 |
El Aprendiz 2014 | Tierra de Leon | 8,95 |
Guelbenzu Vierlas 2015 | Ribera del Queiles | 5,70 |
Sincronia Negre 2016 | Mallorca | 9,95 |
Son Caló Negre 2016 | Pla I Llevant | 7,15 |
Tres al Cuadrado 2014 | Vino de Espana | 7,95 |
Finca Antigua Crianza Único 2012 | La Mancha | 7,15 |
Bajondillo 2016 | Mentrida | 7,50 |
Gaba Do Xil Mencía 2015 | Valdeorras | 8,35 |
Abadal Franc 2016 | Pla de Bages | 7,80 |
Dos Marías Roble 2015 | Binissalem-Mallorca | 7,25 |
Quadis Crianza 2014 | Cadiz | 7,60 |
Clos Lojen 2016 | Manchuela | 6,90 |