After all, Spain is all about wine! I had an image that it was cheap and good quality.
Cheap and tasty drinks everywhere!
For example, when ordering wine at a bar, I think I was often asked about the approximate production area of the wine I wanted. Even if you don’t know much, it’s written on the menu so don’t worry. Basically, Rioja and Navarra are available everywhere, so it didn’t seem to be a problem to just say Rioja or Navarra. The rest is probably local. I think I can get by with these three choices.
Wine by the glass at the bar was very inexpensive, around €2 a glass.
In addition, it seemed to come out red by default unless I specifically said otherwise.
On the other hand, especially in restaurants, I made sure to order by the carafe or bottle. It was surprisingly rare to find local wines served in carafes, but I still found this way of being served to be very enjoyable and a real taste of regional travel.
Of course, you can order a bottle at the bar. It is cheap but you can enjoy plenty of good quality wine.
About the cepage (grape variety)
スペインワインの主要な産地でもあるスペイン北部のリオハやナバーラの代表的なセパージュはなんといってもテンプラリーニョ。このテンプラリーニョがこのあたりのワインの基本的な味わいとなります。やや甘みがあって濃厚なフルボディタイプが多いのが特徴と言えるでしょう。
However, they also grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Grenache (Garnacha), and I often saw wines made by blending these cepages with Temprariño. Depending on the type, Temprariño can be a bit sweet and too heavy, but when Merlot-Syrah is blended in, the flavor becomes very round and elegant, making it easy to drink. I highly recommend this wine.
The next time you go to a restaurant that has Spanish wines, you might want to ask the sommelier for something like this.
Some menus (set meals) come with wine by default.
I explained this to you last time. This system is fantastic. The fact that it’s also a Parador makes it even better.
Parador’s original wines
If you want to make your trip in Spain a little bit luxurious, I recommend you to stay at paradors because they are surprisingly reasonable. I ordered them in Lerma and Siguenza.
This seems to be a producer located near the Parador in Lerma.
And here is a wine from that producer. A very powerful 100% Temprariño full-bodied wine. It also had a somewhat unique flavor.
This was the wine we had at the Parador in Siguença. The etiquette is very stylish. As I mentioned above, the base is Temprariño, but it is blended with Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, so it was very mild and very easy to drink, although it lacks a little impact compared to Lerma’s original.
Please note that if you order this kind of original Parador wine, the aforementioned set meal wine set will not be served and will be charged separately.
I think I’d better get a decanter.
Now, when I ordered wine at the Parador in Lerma, they prepared a decanter for me. It is the original of Parador. It sure tastes better when served in a decanter!
I think I’ll buy one for my home next time. I wanted this Parador decanter….
Buy souvenirs in San Sebastián
Again, I bought well. I bought 5 bottles of wine, mainly from Rioja Navarra. Two of them were the original Lerma Parador, which had a very unique and powerful taste. I bought the other three bottles in San Sebastian, which was also the turnaround point of the trip.
In the photo above, some wines from the Medoc region are included, I bought them in Dubai on the way home.
I really wanted to buy more, but it was too hard to carry them back home, so that’s about it for this time. In France, we have a partnership with Yamato Transport, so we can send them to you. I saw them in Bordeaux, Reims, and Beaune in Burgundy.
If you are in a larger city in Spain, you may be able to use Yamato.
というわけで合計4回にわたる食事とワイン編シリーズはこれにて終了。次回以降は訪問した街や村、お城などを紹介していきます。
