Bodegas Carlos Plaza

Grape varieties as a key factor when choosing a wine.

A variety is a group of plants within a species that has one or more distinguishing characteristics and usually produces true-to-seed.

The “vitis”, the vine, is the plant where grapes grow, from where we will obtain the wine.

There are more than 10.000 all over the world. The prestigious Master of Wine, Jancis Robinson has recorded 1.368 varieties on his book, Wine Grapes. In Spain, 176 different varieties are grown.

Some consumers consider the variety of the wine key at the moment of choosing one wine or another. Each variety has its own characteristics that will give as a result a particular type of wine. Some other factors such as the winemaking techniques and the particular terroir of the country or region will influence the style too.

Tempranillo is the most widely grown black grape variety in Spain to make full-bodied red wines. The meaning of Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word temprano (early), a reference to the fact that it ripens a few weeks earlier than most Spanish black grapes. Tempranillo is also known as tinta del país, cencibel, tinta de toro, tinto roriz, ull de llebre, tinto fino, temprana, primerenc, argand, aranda, chinchillana, marinera, santa ana, ullada o santiaguera.

La variedad de uva tinta más plantada en España es la Tempranillo. También llamada tinta del país, cencibel, tinta de toro, tinta roriz, ull de llebre, tinta fina, arganda, arauxa, chinchillana, entre otros.

Tempranillo is the main grape in Carlos Plaza wines as in our Carlos Plaza Joven or La Llave Roja Joven.

Other widely planted varieties in Spain are Garnacha, Graciano, Mencía, Monastrell, or Bobal as well as some international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot y la Syrah. These two are also part of some of the blends of our wines as in Carlos Plaza Selección, or LA LLAVE ROJA 8 meses or as single varietal in our Carlos Plaza Merlot.

Regarding white grapes Airén is the most widely grown white grape variety in Spain, mainly, if not mostly, in La Mancha.

Another interesting white grape is Macabeo (known as Viura in Rioja wines). Macabeo is a white variety very much used to produce CAVA. Bodegas Carlos Plaza elaborates a delicious blend of Macabeo and Sauvignon Blanc.

Other White varieties planted in Spain are Verdejo, Albariño, Moscatel, Xarello, Albillo, Chardonnay, Cayetana, Pardina, Pedo Ximénez or Palomino.

New World wines seem to be more focused on the variety while Old World wines seem to be more focused on particular regions. Our point of view is that the variety is an easier way to approach wine styles for more wine consumers. It is certainly easier to know all grapes than all wine producing regions.

Other White varieties planted in Spain are Verdejo, Albariño, Moscatel, Xarello, Albillo, Chardonnay, Cayetana, Pardina, Pedo Ximénez or Palomino.

New World wines seem to be more focused on the variety while Old World wines seem to be more focused on particular regions. Our point of view is that the variety is an easier way to approach wine styles for more wine consumers. It is certainly easier to know all grapes than all wine producing regions.

The variety or varieties usually appear on the labels or back labels of most wines as an important and useful information for the consumer, often even as a relevant decision factor. We always write this information on the front label to help the consumer decide.

WINE CURIOSITY:

Did you know that the name of the most widely grown grape variety in the world is Kyoho, exclusively dedicated to table wine. Initially planted in Japan, nowadays it is mostly grown in China. Now, it starts making sense…

Source: International Organization of Wine and Vine (OIV)