Spain & Central Europe

Spain & Central Europe

Spain's most important black grape, Tempranillo, defines two of its most famous regions, while Garnacha (Grenache under its Spanish name) plays a major supporting role. Two aromatic whites — Albariño in Spain and Furmint in Hungary — round out this section's tour of Iberia and Central Europe.

Tempranillo in Rioja & Ribera del Duero

Tempranillo produces medium-to-high tannin, medium-acid red wines with moderate alcohol and red plum/strawberry fruit, often with a herbal or leathery edge as it ages. It is especially responsive to American oak, which contributes classic vanilla, coconut and dill aromas alongside the fruit.

• Rioja — Tempranillo is often blended with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano; the region's American-oak tradition gives many Riojas their signature sweet-spice character.
• Ribera del Duero — Tempranillo (locally sometimes called Tinto Fino) is often used alone or nearly so; high-altitude vineyards give a large diurnal temperature range that preserves acidity and colour while achieving full ripeness, often yielding deeper, more powerful wines than Rioja.
• Catalunya — a broader regional designation where Tempranillo is also grown, frequently for blended or varietal wines at a range of quality levels.

Rioja's Ageing Ladder

Rioja is unusual for stating a formal ageing category prominently on the label:

Higher categories generally mean more concentration, more oak influence, and a higher price.

Garnacha in Rioja & Navarra

Garnacha is the Spanish name for Grenache, and it plays a similar role here as in France: adding body, ripe fruit and alcohol to Tempranillo-based blends in Rioja. In Navarra, Garnacha has a long historical association with rosado (rosé), though the region now also produces increasing amounts of varietal Garnacha red.

Albariño in Rías Baixas

Rías Baixas, in Galicia on Spain's cool, damp Atlantic coast, is the benchmark region for Albariño:

• High acidity and pronounced aromatics — citrus and stone fruit (peach), often with a light saline, sea-breeze-like character attributed to the coastal, maritime climate
• Thick skins help the grape resist the region's higher humidity and rainfall
• Usually made in a fresh, unoaked style intended for early drinking

Furmint in Tokaj, Hungary

Furmint is a high-acid white grape that can be vinified dry, but is most famous as the backbone of Tokaji Aszú:

• Furmint's thin skin and naturally high acidity make it highly susceptible to botrytis (noble rot)
• Individually selected, botrytis-affected berries (often blended with a smaller amount of Hárslevelű) are used to make an intensely honeyed, luxuriously sweet wine
• The wine's searing natural acidity balances its concentrated sweetness, and Tokaji Aszú has historically ranked among the world's most prized sweet wines

Rioja's Three Sub-Zones

Rioja is divided into three officially recognised sub-zones with distinct growing conditions: Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, both higher-altitude and cooler, generally associated with more elegant, higher-acid wines, and Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja), warmer and lower-altitude, producing riper, fuller-bodied fruit often used for blending. A wine labelled simply "Rioja" may draw fruit from any combination of the three.

Tempranillo's Many Local Names

Tempranillo is known by different names across Spain depending on the region: Tinto Fino or Tinta del País in Ribera del Duero, Cencibel in central Spain, and Ull de Llebre in Catalunya. Despite the different names, the underlying grape and its core characteristics — moderate acidity, ripe red fruit and an affinity for oak — remain consistent.

Measuring Tokaji's Sweetness

Historically, Tokaji Aszú's sweetness was measured in puttonyos, a scale referring to the number of baskets of botrytis-affected berries added to a base wine; higher puttonyos numbers indicated greater sweetness and concentration. The puttonyos concept remains closely associated with Tokaji's identity and is worth recognising on a label or shelf-talker.

Quick Reference

Reading the Label

Spanish labels are notable for stating the ageing category (Crianza/Reserva/Gran Reserva) directly and prominently — a feature not found on most other European labels covered so far, and a reliable clue to both style and price. Hungarian Tokaji labels, meanwhile, indicate sweetness level rather than an oak-ageing ladder.