Quite recently, around 70 years ago, sparkling Spanish wine in Spain was called champán or chámpaña.
Thus, clearly implying at Champagne.

One day France got tired of those hints.
Champagne is from Champagne region- shouted French. So, Spanish sparkling wine had to turn into cava.

Cava in Catalan means basement, cellar.
Why use a Catalan word?
Because 95% of all Cava is produced in Catalonia.

And here is yet another delicate matter. Spaniards from other regions, normally not being very fond of Catalonia or Catalans really suffer, having to drink Catalan Cava for special occasions.

For those martyrs exist Cava from other Spanish regions, often from Extremadura, Rioja or Valencia.

Although those regions have different climates and using different grapes.

So, technically is wrong to call all that sparkling wine by the same name: Cava.

But let us leave those details to Spanish people. I believe soon enough they will separate Cava of Catalonia from other Spanish sparkling wines to a separate category.

And let us discuss how does Cava taste like?
Does it remind of Champagne?

Both Cava and Champagne are sparkling wine.
Both made using the same technique: the traditional champenois method. But that’s it.

Taste is really different.
Because soil, grapes, climate: all is different.
Spanish climate is way warmer so grape is sweeter, that’s is why it is even allowed to add some acidity to the wine.

The good news is that Cava is way more economic than Champagne.
A decent Cava bottle will cost you 5-10 euros.
For 20-30 euros you will get an amazing example.
Meanwhile an average French guy will have to spend around 20-30 ++ euros for an average bottle of Champagne.

Most famous Spanish Cava brands with mass productions are as follows:

✔️Codorniu (by the way, this oldest Cava winery in Catalonia).
✔️Freixenet
✔️Juve & Camps
✔️Pago de Tharsys
✔️Segura Viudas
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Have you tried Cava? Do you like it?

Well, yes. But.
The devil is in the details.

First things first. A standard glass of dry wine contains from 70 to 120 calories.

White wine has less calories. Red wine more.
Still not much. But. There are several other very important things that matter.

Rarely one stops after one glass, so calories easily multiply.
Wine provokes hunger and here we are finishing a plate of fatty cheeses and blaming wine for weight gain.

While processing wine our liver is pretty busy so it stops processing other products like fat. Means fat goes directly to the places where it should not go. And never to the places where it would be more than welcome, like bobbies.

Here are some hints to avoid fattening while drinking wine.
1. Don’t drink before eat. Wine consumed 30 minutes before food, increases appetite.

2. Drink dry red wine. Less sugar and lots of antioxidants.

3. Don’t drink late at night. I know, I know, sounds hard. Well, wine works as carbs in your body so try (at least try) to resist drinking too late.

4. Spend more on a bottle of wine. Here we can kill two birds with one stone. First.
More expensive wine means more quality. Second, is more likely that you’d try to split more expensive wine for at least couple of days instead of finishing it all at once.

5. Don’t drink at home. Better walk to a neighborhood bar and find there a friend or two over a glass of wine.

6. Drink more water. One glass of wine/one glass of water. Thus, you prevent over drinking and loss of water in cells.
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Remember, heavy drinking is 3+ drinks for a man and 2+drinks for a woman per day meanwhile people drinking just a glass of red dry wine per day are proven to live longer.

Chin-chin!

And sure thing those names are of French origin.
What’s the difference and does it even matter?
Oh, yes.

Let’s talk about two most important, the minimum must have for any wine lover and understand the logic.
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The Bordeaux glass. Probably the most well-known, with a big but not very wide bowl, volume 600 ml and above.

When to use:
For Bordeaux wines, that’s clear.
And for any other full-bodied, strong, heavy red wines with medium and high tannins, those that need to “breathe”, to open up.
E.g. Shiraz, Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero and Toro, Garnacha from Priorat and Aragon, Malbec.

The Burgundy glass has a bowl that looks like a balloon. We use it for elegant, subtle red wines with high acidity and low to medium tannins, that DO NOT need to breathe, but need that bowl to concentrate there subtle wine aromas.
E.g. Pino Noir, Beaujolais, Barolo, Mencia, Tempranillo from Rioja and almost all Rioja wines). You could also use it for white Burgundy wines and vintage Champaign.

Swipe to see the pictures of the two glasses.
And the glass that I’m holding at the pic? Well, is just my favorite size😍

If you are longing for a glass of a white Spanish wine, then this post is for you.
Any Spanish waiter would ask you the same question: Verdejo or Albariño.

In order to be ready for this,
lets talk today about the two most common Spanish white wines.

In the red corner of the ring we have the white prince of the North and such a good fella: Albariño.

It is a delicate white grape varietal from the north of Spain that has an amazing feature: it does not rot in a humid northern sea climate. Still, is hard to plant it, the grapevines have to be tied up high so that the plant would not touch soil.

Light gold color, with elegant and subtle fruit notes, high acidity and minerality.
Vines growing closer to the coastline have more minerality thanks to its proximity to the sea. Vines growing further to the continent, have fruity notes more distinguished.
Light, fresh, sea-like - those are the words to describe this white grape that concurred both Spain and the rest of the world far too fast.

Albariño’s origin is under harsh discussion.
Das ich Deutsche Weine, - say Germans. The word comes from “Alba-Reine” (which means “from the Rhine river banks”.

-No way, merde! - shout French and show proves that this grape came from Alsace, and was brought to Spain by French monks that could not imagine to live there without wine.

- Albariño is an indigenous Galician variety, planted back in the times of Celts, - argue Galicians.
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Is up to you which version to choose.

And we do not have time to argue cause we gonna meet Verdejo that awaits in the blue corner of the ring.
Tomorrow. Same place, same time.

Question: do you like Albariño?

That is the question that will be asked practically in any Spanish bar where you ask for a glass of a red wine.

Ribera is from Ribera, Rioja is  Rioja, - that’s how some waiters explain the difference. Thank you Captain Obvious!

English are from England, French are from France.
That’s all clear. 
No.
What’s the difference then?
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Rioja and Ribera del Duero are two most well-known Spanish wine regions.
Rioja is almost a synonym of a Spanish wine. 
Ribera is following Rioja closely.

Rioja has milder climate, grape harvest takes place later.
There are 5 officially permitted grapes for the DO Rioja. The primary grape is Tempranillo. Garnacha is commonly used for blending. Carignan and Graciano are less common. The fifth official is Maturana Tinta.
Rioja was the first Spanish region to receive the highest DOC status (DOC stands for the Denominación de Origen Calificada).

Ribera’s climate is much more sharp continental, that makes no room for the grape to ripen. It grows small but brave and very strong.
What it means for us? That a glass of Ribera will hit you hard from the first sip. And that Ribera’s wine will need to breathe before drinking.

As for the grape, the main hero is the same Tempranillo known here as Tinto del País. 95% of vineyards is planted with Tempranillo. It is allowed to use as well Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, but the percentage of the Tempranillo for DO Ribera del Duero wines should be no less than 75%.

Ribera does not have a DOC status, only a DO.
But is world famous for its Vega Sicilia and in general for the bunch of the most expansive Spanish wines and prestigious wineries. 

Ribera is more expensive than Rioja.
Ribera is stronger than Rioja.
Ribera’s wines in general are more aromatic, more dense, full-bodied.

Next time we will discuss what glasses should you choose for each region.

Rioja or Ribera, amigo?

Baby, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me no more talking about wine from oranges, mangos or tears of a raccoon.
Because at this point my inner sommelier starts to cut the veins. Of those who thinks so, of course.
Wine is an alcoholic drink made of grapes. That’s it. Point. End of a story.

It is certain, that we can obtain other beverages from other fruits and vegetables. If we are lucky enough those beverages would be even alcoholic. But at least in the main wine-producing countries their drinks may not be called wine by legislation.
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Let’s look up a formal explanation of the term.
“Wine is an alcoholic drink beverage received by means of a full or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes or grape must”.

So many weird words, huh?
In reality is not so complicated.

Must is a grape juice received by enforcing or natural (by gravity) pressing of grapes.

Alcoholic fermentation is a process when grape juice turns to an alcoholic drink thanks to wine yeast eating the sugar in the grapes thus producing ethanol and gas (carbon dioxide).

Sure thing, fermentation is the process that could happen and happens to rice, fruits, vegetables, even tea bags.

Let’s call it rice wine, fruit wine, etc. in order not to hurt the feelings of European winemakers working day and night to provide us with their excellent (grape) wines!