Spanish Whites
Vintage image sourced on Pinterest
When you hear “Spanish wine,” the first thing that comes to mind is Rioja, right? Or maybe Ribera del Duero? Priorat? I could go on. Few would think of an Albariño, Rueda or Txakolí first.
Spain is largely thought of as red wine country, but there are white wines coming out of Spain that are just as deserving of your attention. Even better, they’re usually outrageously affordable. This Spanish Whites wine tasting guide covers some of the best known and most widely available white wines from España, so that you can decide which you like best.
Stuff to know
Much like in Italy, Spanish reds tend to hog the country’s wine spotlight, leaving Spanish Whites hovering on stage, hoping for a bit of attention. Don’t think that makes them any less worthy of your attention though. If you’ve ever had the luxury of traveling to Spain, you might have found yourself craving a creamy white while snacking on Manchego cheese, or dying for a refreshingly thirst-quenching Rueda after a hot, dry day when you’ve finally felt the desire to sit outside in one of the picturesque town squares as the brazen sun cools its jets and the city comes to life.
It’s easy to assume that all of Spain is hot, especially since so many of the images of the country depict dry, dusty, red soils from which knobbly vines spurt out like witch’s fingers. But Spain, like most countries, is far more diverse than we tend to acknowledge, and its wines reflect those variances. On the northwest coast, in Galicia, the Atlantic’s influence pummels the wine regions with rain and cooling winds, so much so that it’s difficult for winemakers to avoid mildew and mold on the grapes. On the northeastern coast, over in Basque country, traditional Txakolí has been enjoyed for centuries, though for most of its history, it was a homemade, local product rather than a polished export. Even in the heart of Spain’s central meseta, known for its hot, relentlessly dry summers and surprisingly cold winters, Rueda’s Verdejo manages to come out citrus-y, tangy and refreshing, a blessing for anyone who’s ever spent even 15 minutes of a summer day outside in this region. In Rioja, where the winding Ebro river and its tributaries cut through mountains and hills, Blanco wines are quietly valued as much as the reds, at least by the people in the know.
This tasting doesn’t cover every style of white wine in Spain, but instead, focuses on 6 that are widely known and distributed. If you’re missing unfortified Palomino Finos from the land of Sherry, Treixadura, Albillo Mayor, White Priorat or others, I can only apologize and encourage you to keep spreading the gospel of the Spanish wines you love. Because that’s the whole point of all of this, really. Just keep trying and exploring.
What to look for in this tasting
It isn’t easy to describe all of the Spanish whites in this tasting in a cohesive way, since they are each distinct. That said, for simplicity’s sake, I’ll say that many of these wines are unoaked, citrus-y and crisp, with fruity aromas and flavors like honeydew melon, green apple, pear, grapefruit and peach along with complementary floral and herbal notes like honeysuckle, orange blossom, fennel and tarragon.
The Spanish Whites that don’t fit that description are Oaked Rioja Blanco, some Valdeorras Godello and some Rías Baixas Albariño.
It’s pretty easy to imagine how Oaked Rioja Blanco has a different profile, since the “oaked” rather gives it away. These wines are just as oaky as top White Burgundy, with all the flavors of caramel, butter, toasted hazelnuts and grilled pineapple that you’d imagine.
Valdeorras Godello is sometimes oaked, imparting buttery, toasty complexity, and sometimes made in stainless steel, resulting in crisp, citrus-y wines reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc.
Rías Baixas Albariño is sometimes treated to lees stirring and aging, though it’s less often oaked, and these wines tend to have creaminess and a ginger-y spice that layers upon the more traditional aromas and flavors of orange blossom, saline, peach, grapefruit and lime pith.
The wines
#1: Oaked Rioja Blanco
Rioja is far and away Spain’s most famous wine region. It’s known for its red wines, which, ok, given that more than 90% of plantings are red grapes, makes sense. But not that long ago, before the 1950s, Rioja had more white grapes than red. The shift toward red has to do with several things, from a warming climate to market trends to white winemaking techniques that just weren’t available way back when. Rioja’s whites used to all be what we call the “traditional” style today: rich, weighty, partially oxidized wines that have undergone fermentation and long periods of aging in oak barrels. Usually American oak barrels, which tend to have stronger flavors than other types of oak, like French or Hungarian. There are still a few winemakers making these wines, but they’re few and far between, usually expensive and made only by the most traditional bodegas, like López de Heredia and Marqués de Murrieta.
Somewhere between the most traditional of traditional and the fully modern, unoaked styles of Rioja Blanco lie a whole bunch of straight-up delicious wines that have fooled some of my dinner guests into thinking I was serving pricey White Burgundies. I’ve watched guests who aren’t even into wine take photos of the bottles so that they can remember to buy more for themselves.
Wineries like the two that I had the pleasure of working with, Finca Valpiedra and Valenciso, are making whites led by Viura, a grape that goes by Macabeo in nearby Catalonia, where it’s commonly used to make Cava. Rioja Blancos, like Rioja’s Reds, are usually blends of different grape varieties, but the ones making the deepest impressions these days are usually Viura-dominant blends. These wines often undergo oak barrel fermentation, lees stirring and aging, but they might use French or Hungarian oak instead of American, and they don’t age as long as the most traditional styles, so that they strike that difficult balance between niche-y wine geekdom and wide appreciation. They’re cool, an off-beat take, but even that basic friend who only drinks buttery Chardonnay will enjoy them.
Expect to find aromas and flavors of toasted hazelnuts, caramel, grilled pineapple and honeycomb contrasted with bright lime zest, green tarragon and a slightly salty kick that makes them feel indulgent solo, and even more so with food.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with an oaked Rioja Blanco. If shopping online, look for product descriptions that use words like vanilla, caramel or toasted nuts.
#2: Unoaked Rioja Blanco
In the 1970s, winemakers all over Europe began to take advantage of temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, forever changing the styles of white wines produced. Rioja was no exception, as more and more winemakers in the region moved away from the traditional and expensive process of fermenting and aging wines in individual American oak barrels.
The new Rioja Blanco wines made in stainless steel tanks were suddenly crisp, fresh and ready to drink not too long after harvest, a boon to all the winemakers who frankly couldn’t afford to tie up cash flow for years while the wines aged in their cellars.
These days, winemakers have even more options, and while there are some who have moved back toward oak-aged styles, others are experimenting with concrete eggs and large or old barrels that don’t impart significant flavor while still adding a round creaminess to the wine. Wines that were at first, a bit boring, have become much more diverse, with a wide variety of white grapes, varying terroirs and winemaking techniques in play.
Viura (AKA Macabeo) is still the most-grown white grape, but there are plenty of others, from Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía to local grapes Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco and Turruntés (AKA Albillo Mayor), neighboring Rueda’s Verdejo, and even international grapes like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Expect to find aromas and flavors of green apple, honeydew melon, apricot, grapefruit and lime zest with some appearances by tarragon and beeswax.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with an unoaked Rioja Blanco
#3: Rías Baixas Albariño
Albariño (”al-bah-reen-yoh”) is the name of the grape and Rías Baixas (”ree-yas buy-shas”) is the name of the region in northeastern Spain’s Galicia. It’s a part of Spain that defies your ideas of a warm, sunny, dry country. Out on the edge, north of Portugal, the Atlantic has its way with any part of this region that isn’t sufficiently sheltered by mountains. Rain is abundant. So much so that winemakers have to constantly work to avoid mildew or rot setting in and ruining the harvest. Albariño has an ideal feature for this climate: thick skins that have an inborn resistance to heat, humidity and encroaching fungus than their thinner-skinned counterparts.
Some winemakers in Rías Baixas still use traditional pergola trellises called parral, like the one in the background in this tasting guide’s feature image. The vines are trained high above the ground, allowing airflow and in some circumstances, other crops to grow beneath. At harvest time, grape pickers have to reach up instead of down or across.
Albariño’s thick skins do more than protect the grapes from fungi. Like with Pinot Grigio, thick skins tend to impart some phenolic bitterness in the wines, which shows up as a drying, subtly scratchy texture with a slight bitterness, like almond skin. To me, phenolic bitterness often tastes like white tea and adds a vibrancy to the wine, making it feel fresh and lively even when the acidity isn’t all that high.
Albariño wines can be light-bodied, with bright acidity and flavors of orange blossom, peach, lemon, grapefruit and saline, but they can also be creamy and medium- to full-bodied when producers decide use lees stirring and aging or the occasional oak influence, usually from large barrels. These are Albariños that can develop and taste even better over time, even though they’re still generally moderately priced.
I’ve tried Albariños that tasted exactly like I’d expected, but I’ve had plenty of others that would be hard to identify blind. For me, the two hallmarks to look out for are salinity and phenolic bitterness, both of which add a lively tension to the otherwise fruity and citrus-y wines.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Alvarinho from Portugal
#4: Rueda
Rueda (”roo-ay-dah”) isn’t located where you’d guess a white wine region would be. It’s smack-dab in the middle of Spain, northwest of Madrid and southwest of Valladolid. The Duero river is this region’s key feature, cutting across the Meseta Central, Spain’s high elevation inner plateau. It might not feel like it when you’re there, looking across what seems to be mostly flat or undulating land, but the vineyards lie at 2,300-2,600 feet (700-800m) altitude, creating almost desert-like conditions, where the summer days are hot and dry but cool nights keep the grapes from ripening too soon and losing their acidity.
Verdejo (”vehr-day-ho”) is the name of the region’s signature grape, sometimes bottled solo and sometimes blended with Sauvignon Blanc, though a few other white grapes are also allowed. Wines labeled DO Rueda are usually blends.
Most Rueda wines are light-bodied and refreshingly zippy, the kind of wine I always craved when eating tacos in Texas. Some producers use lees stirring and aging or the occasional oak aging to add body, texture and complexity to the wines, with creamy, smoky or toasty aromas and flavors. If you’re into Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc, these wines will be right up your alley, and will usually cost less, too.
Expect to find aromas and flavors of white grapefruit, lime, white peach, honeydew melon and almonds with herbal-y dill and fennel in the mix. These wines might smell fruity, but they’re refreshingly dry and lively on the palate, hitting your tongue with a jolt of acid that awakens every taste bud.
What to ask for: Ask by style name
Alternative(s): Rueda Verdejo (comprised of at least 85% Verdejo) or Rueda Sauvignon Blanc (comprised of at least 85% Sauvignon Blanc)
#5: Valdeorras Godello
I’ve tasted Godello (”go-day-yoh”) wines blind three different times in the past few months, something I never would have expected, since Godello isn’t what one would consider a “classic” blind wine tasting wine. I’m pretty sure some of the blinds were meant to fool though, since no matter which other wine you’d guess, that wine would likely cost a lot more than Valdeorras Godello.
Valdeorras (”val-deh-oar-ras”) is the name of the region in northwest Spain that’s often called the gateway to Galicia, since it lies just on the border to the central Castilla y León region, making it the Galician wine region that lies furthest inland. Unlike Rías Baixas, Valdeorras has a continental climate thanks to several mountain ranges protecting the region from the worst of the Atlantic’s heavy rains.
Godello nearly went extinct, first thanks to phylloxera in the 19th century and then thanks to neglect. A few producers, including Horacio Fernández and José Luis Bartolomé, have worked tirelessly since the 1970s, creating the ReViVal project that helped restore this local treasure.
The last two Godello wines I tasted blind made me think of French Chardonnay, particularly from the warm, sunny Languedoc. In both cases, there was something subtly different that I couldn’t place, a saltiness that didn’t fit my idea of Chardonnay, but that only added to the appeal.
Valdeorras Godello wines can be Chardonnay-like, with aromas and flavors of cream, butter, vanilla, cedar, golden apple, ripe grapefruit, quince, honey and saline. These are the wines that are oak-aged, and are generally considered the top quality wines from Valdeorras.
There are also Valdeorras Godello wines that don’t undergo oak aging, so that the wines smell and taste of green apple, grapefruit, peach, lemon, hay and saline.
What to ask for: Ask by name and look for indicators of oak aging on the label
Alternative(s): Ribeira Sacra Godello, Monterrei Godello or Bierzo Godello
#6: Txakolí Blanco
In Spanish Basque country, Txakolí (”cha-koh-lee”), sometimes spelled Chacolí, are dry white wines with piercing acidity, light bodies, low alcohol levels and a subtle effervescence that adds a hit of spritz reminiscent of Vinho Verde. It should surprise absolutely no one that these wines were a huge hit in sweltering Austin, Texas, where I used to live.
While Txakolí technically refers to the white wine style only, there are some red and rosé versions, so the clearest description when asking for one of these wines is to request a Txakolí Blanco. These wines are blends, made from local grapes with fun-to-say names like Hondarrabi Zuri, Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia, Mune Mahatsa, Iskiriota Zuri Handia and Iskiriota Zuri Tipia.
The most popular Txakolí in Texas was from DO Getariako Txakolina, a region bordering the Bay of Biscay, where the wines tend to have a saltiness that transports you to the coast while the light fizziness makes you forget that there’s any alcohol involved. It feels more like you’re drinking San Pellegrino with fresh lemon and grapefruit juice squeezed in and a surprise dash of salt.
In other parts of Basque country, Txakolí wines are not fizzy and can have higher alcohol levels and more body, so if you’d prefer to try these styles and avoid the spritz, just avoid wines with “Getariako” on the label.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with a Txakolí Blanco
Tasting tips
The eats
Much like with Sherry, Spain’s fortified white wines, tapas are ideal food-wise for this tasting. You could take the charcuterie off the board and move it onto small bowls and plates, with Jamón Ibérico, Manchego, Idiazabal and Zamorano cheeses, Marcona almonds, olives, Chorizo, tinned fish or shrimp cocktail, olives and those addictive crunchy corn snacks. You could go all-in by ordering or making your own croquetas, patatas bravas, pan con tomate or one of many other Spanish tapas dishes. You could also pull out the trusty charcuterie board and limit the amount of dishes you’ll have to wash afterward, loading it up with Spanish snacks as well as queso fresco, sliced bread, dried apricots, avocado slices, flaky sea salt and wheat crackers. It’s hard to go wrong here.
If you’ve been curious about the seacuterie trend, this tasting would be a great excuse to try it.
The prep
Spanish whites are often under-valued and appreciated, making them highly affordable, weeknight-style wines. Even many long-aged white Riojas are affordably priced, especially when you consider the cost of expensive oak barrels and lengthy storage, paid long before any potential revenue comes in!
Some of these wines will be easy to find, while others can take some time, depending on where you live. Give your guests at least 2 weeks to find their wines for this tasting.
Encourage your guests to give their wines some pre-tasting fridge time, since this is a tasting where it’s best if the wines are chilled. It’s a good idea to have an ice bucket or two handy as well, to accommodate any guests who forgot or didn’t have time to chill their wines before arrival.
A note on the tasting order: The wines are listed in the order of which should be included first. If you have fewer than 6 wines/guests, you’ll still have a well-rounded experience. However, the order in which you taste the wines, regardless of how many wines are included, is recommended as follows:
Txakolí Blanco
Rueda
Rías Baixas Albariño
Valdeorras Godello
Unoaked Rioja Blanco
Oaked Rioja Blanco
