Spanish red wine highlights from Taste Spain
Last week I had the pleasure of hosting two incredible chef demos and wine pairings at Taste Spain held in the Mare Street Market. I worked with the brilliant teams from Camino and Arros QD on two masterclasses paired with wine – The Art of the Pinchos with Basque chef icon Nacho del Campo and The Secrets of Cooking Paella with the Valencian and rightly proud riceist, Eduardo Salazar. Both restaurants brought Spanish passion and flavour to the UK and I have booked dinner into each of them subsequently! That is the sign of a successful masterclass!
However, throughout the day there was a plethora of premium Spanish wine and produce which was exhibited. I had quite a few wine highlights but I wanted to shine a light on 3 Spanish red grapes which are not so well known and that really deliver in regards to taste and price point.
The Best Value Red in the Room – plus a Gold Medal Winner at the Sommelier Awards 2025
El Renegado, Bobal, Bodegas Nodus,aa Valencia 2023 from £13.00
What is Bobal:
This under-the-radar grape happens to be the 3rd most planted red wine in Spain. Bobal is a juicy, Mediterranean red grape from eastern Spain that makes deeply coloured, vibrant wines packed with ripe berry fruit, silky mouth feel and a twist of acidity to refresh and ensure a potential to age.
It’s a tough, drought-resistant variety with thick skins, which is why it thrives in hot, dry vineyards and is increasingly interesting for growers thinking about climate change.
Style:
If you enjoy Rioja or Garnacha, Bobal is like their wilder Mediterranean cousin: similar red-fruited charm, but with deeper colour and a bit more refreshing bite.
Why this one:
El Renegado Bobal is an organic red from 50-year-old vines in the hills behind Valencia. It is completely unoaked as it’s all about pure, dark berry fruit. It’s inky in colour but surprisingly fresh, packed with blackberries, wild strawberries and a hint of liquorice and smoky leathery spice, with smooth tannins that make it spot-on for grilled meats, roasted veg and anything with a bit of char from the pan or barbecue.
Galician Grand Cru quality for lovers of pretty, aromatic reds
A Villeira Mencia, As Ermitas (single vineyard), Virgen del Galir, Galicia, 2020 from £27.00
What is Mencia:
Mencía is native to northwest Spain; especially Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras, plus just over the border in Portugal (where it is often called Jaén). It is a medium bodied, aromatic wine that is all about freshness and lift. These super drinkable wines are often full of red cherry, pomegranate, raspberry red fruit with a hint of herbal spice and a mineral verve. Once seen as a light, unremarkable grape, it has been “rediscovered” by quality-focused producers and is now one of Spain’s most talked-about cool-climate reds
Style:
If you love Pinot Noir and other aromatic reds (like Gamay or Schiava), then Mencía is worth checking out. It’s Spain’s answer to those juicy, perfumed French reds – imagine a cross between a Loire Cab Franc and a serious Beaujolais, with a little extra wild herb and slatey minerality. The palate is juicy and refreshing, with fine, chalky tannins rather than big, grippy ones, so it’s brilliant slightly chilled with charcuterie, grilled chicken or tomato-based dishes
Why this one:
The combination of fruits of the forest berries, whisps of rosehip, pulpy texture and a spicy, long, oolong tea finish made me smile! This is a seriously pretty wine from a super serious single vineyard estate. The old vines and super high mountainous terrain enable a rich intensity from the fruit whilst maintaining its beautiful perfume and finesse. I can see why this wine consistently scores in the 90s by critics worldwide.
Rioja’s Seasoning Secret – The Opulent Occasion Wine
Voché Graciano, Bodegas Manzanos, Rioja 2021 from £27.50
What is Graciano: I remember distinctly being mesmerized by this grape when I worked at a Rioja bodega. Graciano is a dark, aromatic Spanish red grape that is often used to ‘season’ Rioja blends but is amazing on its own. It offers vivid, structured reds bursting with dark berries (think blackberry, blueberry and plum), violet aromatics and a twist of tea spice and earth. Sadly Graciano is facing a decline in plantings as it is a tricky variety to grow, but some winemakers who recognize its unique qualities, have resorted to producing wine made solely from this grape, which offer a different experience to the traditional Rioja blends.
Style: If you like the spicy side of Syrah or a more structured, potentially richer style of Rioja, Graciano lives in that same world, just with extra zip, perfume and perhaps bigger body depending on the oak aging.
Why this one:
Voché Graciano is Rioja’s dark, sultry side. 100% Graciano from old vines aged in new French and Romanian oak, gives an intoxicating perfume of blackberries, blueberry bonne maman jam and sweet spice. Yet on the palate it is silky, packed with rich dark fruit, enlivened with clove spice and juicy acidity and the tannins are super polished. This is ‘special occasion’ Rioja with extra perfume and structure.