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The Ultimate FAQ: Everything you need to know about Spanish red wine

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These are the top questions asked about red wines from Spain on Google, answered

The Ultimate FAQ: Everything you need to know about Spanish red wine

Wine in Spain is famous around the world, from Rioja and Ribera del Duero reds to Albariño whites, sweet Jerez sherries and dessert wines. Each region of Spain makes its own special varieties, each one better than the last.

Read: These are the best Spanish red wines from each region 2023

But how much do you know about red wine in Spain, and do you know why Spanish wines are so famous and tasty? Here’s our top things you never knew about Spanish red wines…

1. What is a Spanish red wine called?

Amazing at it seems, the most searched question asked on Google about red wines in Spain is ‘What is a Spanish red wine called?’. While the obvious answer would be ‘Spanish red wine’, in truth, there are many varieties of wines in Spain.

Rioja and Ribera are probably the two best-known types of Spanish red wine, both of which are frequently made using Tempranillo grapes.

The Spanish also have many alterantive local names in the Spanish language to refer to international grape varieties. For instance, they say ‘Garnacha’ instead of Grenache, and ‘Monastrell’ instead of Mourvedre. Sparkling wine is also called Cava in Spain.

2. What are Spanish reds?

One of the most common mistakes people make when ordering red wine in Spain is to ask for ‘vino rojo’. While this is the literal translation of red wine into Spanish, visitors to Spain should know that the Spanish for red wine is actually ‘vino tinto’.

You may also like: These are the top 5 English words that the Spanish use but never pronounce correctly

Spanish red wines are commonly made from the grape varieties Tempranillo, Garnacha (Grenache), Monastrell (Mourvedre), Cariñena (Carignan), Bobal, Mencia and Manto Negro.

3. Why is Spanish wine so good?

Understandably, the third most common question about Spanish red wines on Google is “Why is Spanish wine so good?” A perfectly comprehensible question. Spanish wines are undoubtedly some of the best in the world.

This is partly due to the fact that Spain has had a long time to perfect the art of wine-making. The history of wine in Spain tells that it was the Phoenicians who brought the tradition of wine-making to the country in 1000 BC.

Another reason Spanish wines taste so good is that the country has a range of fantastic climates for growing grapes. In the Castilla-La Mancha region, for example, it is dry and hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. In other parts, such as Galicia, it is wet, sunny and green. This diversity means that a wide variety of grapes can be growin in Spain, each with their own ideal micro-climates.

To shop online for a wide variety of Spanish red wines and get them delivered to you, visit the 8Wines online wine store.

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