North-West Spain

Spanish wine is often synonymous with Rioja, its pre-eminent region for red wines, but there is a wealth of styles to be found in the many and varied regions further west, from neighbouring Ribera del Duero across to mountainous Arribes on the Portuguese border and up to Rias Baixas on the Atlantic coast. The aromatic, textured and often minerally whites include Albarino, Godello, Verdejo and Malvasia while red varieties include newly fashionable Mencia, the more obscure Prieto Picudo and wonderful examples of Tempranillo, typically deeper and more powerful than the lighter, fresher versions often produced in Rioja.