BEYOND RIOJA – The New Face of Spanish Wine

Rediscovered field blends, forgotten grape varieties and a renewed focus on terroir are changing the way Spanish wines are viewed, writes Gagan Sharma, having recently qualified as India’s first Spanish wine educator

Mention Rioja and Cava or Sherry immediately come to mind. For decades, Spain has projected the image of classic Old World winemaking as warm climates, with strict appellations weighing barrel-ageing over regional or varietal expression. But another Spain is emerging. This ‘New Spain’ is moving away from appellations that place too much emphasis on time in oak, and is turning towards wines that express terroir, individual vineyard sites, old vines, indigenous varieties and thoughtful blends. Some producers are even stepping outside the DO and DOCa systems, preferring to draw attention not to what’s on the label but to what’s in the bottle.

Although Spain is often regarded as a hot wine-producing country, its mountains, high plateaux and extensive coastline create considerable climatic diversity. As temperatures rise, winemakers are rediscovering cooler sites and old vineyards, and experimenting with grapes that have flourished on these sites for centuries. Many are once again embracing traditional field blends, a style that once dominated Spanish winemaking, where different grape varieties grow, ripen and are fermented together. Spain also boasts an extraordinary wealth of old bush vines, including significant areas of ungrafted vines that have survived where phylloxera never gained a foothold. Once overlooked, they are now recognised as one of the country’s greatest viticultural treasures.

Having recently qualified as India’s first Spanish Wine Educator, I came away with a very different understanding of Spanish wine. Beyond the famous names lies remarkable diversity that deserves far greater attention.

VINOS DE PASTO – UNFORTIFIED SHERRY
Climate change has adversely affected traditional wine regions, making it difficult to continue in the old way, and forcing them to rethink their centuries-old styles. In Sherry, warmer conditions result in grapes with higher sugar levels and, consequently, wines with higher alcohol. At a time when market trends are favouring low alcohol drinks, the region has had to adapt since consumers increasingly seek lighter styles.

Vinos de Pasto, the newly formulated 2025 designation is one of the more interesting developments. These are unfortified wines that naturally reach around 13–15% alcohol while retaining the native grapes and traditional methods that define the region. Grapes continue to be sun-dried to a limited extent before fermentation.The wines are typically fermented in old Sherry casks and spend time under flor, the natural yeast responsible for the distinctive character of Fino and Manzanilla. The result is a style that preserves the identity of Sherry while offering greater freshness, elegance and drinkability than many fortified examples. Rather than abandoning tradition, Vinos de Pasto reinterpret it for modern tastes.

TXAKOLINA – BASQUE QUEEN

I was first introduced to Txakolina (chock-oh- LEE-nah) both a grape and a region, during my maiden trip to Spain in 2014. Produced in the Basque country in northern Spain, its labels were almost impossible to pronounce and the wine, unlike anything I had tasted before was an underripe, green wine with piercing acidity. For the cider-drinking locals, Txakolina was acceptable, but challenging for newcomers. Yet vines in Txakolina have long been treasured and protected and it was only in the 19th century that the region’s vineyards started to change.

Today, vineyard land around the famous coastal area of Getaria is becoming increasingly expensive, encouraging producers to plant further inland. Warmer sites are producing increased ripeness while preserving the freshness that defines the style. Winemakers are also experimenting with lees ageing, amphorae, skin contact, restrained use of oak, less malolactic fermentation, and a lot more. Txakolina is discovering a new identity. Alongside the classic whites, the region is producing increasingly impressive rosés, reds, sparkling wines and late-harvest bottlings.

As global temperatures rise, regions such as Txakolina with cool Atlantic ocean influence, and cloud-cover may be among the unexpected beneficiaries, producing the vibrant, lower-alcohol wines that are increasingly popular. Years of being overlooked may finally be working in favour of this hidden gem.

Rías baixas
Galicia’s Rías Baixas (REE-ahs BI-shas) has become synonymous with Albariño and some of Spain’s finest aromatic white wines. Their freshness and distinctive saline character have won admirers around the world. However, it wasn’t always a white wine region. Until the latter part of the 20th century, much of the vineyard area was planted to red varieties. Their struggle to ripen consistently, combined with Albariño’s generous yields and outstanding quality, gradually transformed the region, making it known for white wine. Stainless steel fermentation only strengthened its reputation. Today, Albariño dominates production, but another revival is under way.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in indigenous red varieties such as Caíño Tinto, Espadeiro and Sousón. Often growing on granitic soils in vineyards more than a century old, they produce fragrant, energetic wines with bright red fruit, herbs, spice and striking minerality. In a country renowned for powerful reds from Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Priorat, the Atlantic reds of RíasBaixas offer a lighter, fresher expression of Spanish wine.

Blending heritage – ribera del duero
Tempranillo was once erroneously known as a relative of Pinot Noir brought to Spain by Cistercian Monks from Burgundy. A native Iberian cross between two local Spanish grapes, it is now Spain’s flagship red grape. Considered an ‘improving variety’ for blends, it eventually found one of its finest expressions in Ribera del Duero, with better clonal selection. High elevations, cold winters and wide day-night temperature differences allow the grape to ripen slowly while retaining freshness to produce quality wines of varied styles.

Alongside its celebrated varietal wines, the region is rediscovering an older tradition. Ribera Del Duero has a high population of old vines, boasting an impressive diversity of grape varieties planted together over generations. Instead of separating them, some producers are once again harvesting and fermenting these field blends exactly as their predecessors did. Such is the prestige of these century-old vines that they’re now a living history that must be celebrated. These wines are less about showcasing textbook varietal character than expressing the personality of a historic vineyard.

The same philosophy extends to the region’s traditional rosés, where red and white grapes are co-fermented before ageing in concrete or oak. Modern Tempranillo will undoubtedly remain Ribera del Duero’s best-known wine, but these rediscovered traditional wines are attracting growing interest, both, within Spain and abroad. They demonstrate that innovation sometimes comes not from looking forward, but from looking back.

Spain’s next great wines are not new discoveries. They have existed for generationsin in forgotten vineyards using traditional practices that were almost lost.What has changed is that the world is finally beginning to notice them.

For anyone prepared to look beyond Rioja, today’s Spain offers one of the most rewarding and exciting wine journeys anywhere in the world.