Spanish Wine Dictionary

                                                           Spanish Food & Drink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tourists travelling to Spain are often given a useful piece of advice – when visiting cities such as Reus, Tarragona and Barcelona, be prepared for the fact that, because the Spanish eat late, many restaurants don’t open before 9pm, and if you're eating around this time you won't be likely to see many Spaniards sharing tables. Book a restaurant table for between 11pm and midnight and you'll see the place hopping. Dinner is often light after a large lunch and the early evening tradition of tapas.  Needless to say, in areas frequented by tourists such as L’Ametlla, Cambrils, Salou etc., early diners are catered for and children are always welcomed.  Lunch is a different matter with most places open wherever they are, usually doing fixed price ‘menu del dia’, a three course lunch which usually includes bread and wine and which often represent excellent value.

 

Breakfast in Spain is a pretty simple and traditionally European affair. The continental meal can include fresh rolls, bread and jam with coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Spanish coffee is served fresh and quite strong, and some tourists find the ubiquitous café con leche (or coffee with milk) is still quite strong for their tastes.

Tapas are probably the concept of Spanish cuisine most admired and imitated around the world, inspiring thousands of bars and restaurants. The idea is simple, straightforward, and a visit to a tapas bar is possibly the best way to sample a wide variety of Spanish food. The word tapa means cover or lid, and the use of the term refers to the days when bar workers would place complimentary appetisers like a cover of their patron's wine glasses to keep away flies.

 

Tapas can constitute something as simple as a piece of toasted bread, rubbed with garlic and dipped in olive oil, or a dish of olives. Slices of ham or salami, cheese, pieces of Spanish tortilla and marinated anchovies are popular. Dishes like meatballs in tomato sauce, garlic mushrooms, shrimp or cooked chorizo in wine are all offered to tickle the tastebuds at tapas bars around the country. So is paella, the saffron infused rice dish with meat, seafood and vegetables which is a Spanish institution. Tapas are usually displayed on or in the bar and it's as easy as pointing to what you want and a tab being run until you've had your fill.

Salads are not eaten in Spain as much as they are in other European countries - a salad here is likely to be a rudimentary mix of lettuce and tomato. A lot of vegetables are eaten in cooked dishes and soups - Spanish cuisine makes heavy use of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, beans and mushrooms.

 

Garlic is a Spanish favourite and used in almost everything. Olives are also an integral part of Spanish cuisine, whether used in olive oil (of which Spain produces more than any other country) or marinated and eaten as an aperitif or in cooking.

Spanish cooking uses quite a lot of meat, depending on farming and tradition in the region. Chicken, pork and rabbit feature in many dishes and meat products like sausages and salamis are in a class of their own - particularly chorizo, Spain's spicy best-loved sausage. Prawns and shrimps are extremely popular, and anchovies and sardines are both widely consumed. Squid cooked in its own ink has to be tasted to be believed, and rape (or monkfish) is one of the nation's favourites. All these can make an appearance in the ubiquitous fish soup which varies from region to region. Gazpacho is another famous Spanish soup, made with tomato, olive oil, garlic, cucumbers and croutons, served chilled.

 

 Spanish Wine                                                                         {Spanish wines guide}

The most famous Spanish wine is the red and the most famous red wine in Spain comes from the regions of La Rioja and Ribera del Duero.

La Rioja is a region in the north of Spain, just south of the Basque Country. The most common grape used for Rioja is Tempranillo, a grape native to Spain (the name is derived from the Spanish word 'temprano', which means 'early', as the grape becomes ripe earlier than other grapes). Other grapes used for Rioja include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano and Mazuelo.

Ribera del Duero is a stretch of land along the river Duero in Castilla-Leon, extending from Burgos to Valladolid and including the town of Peñafiel. Ribera del Duero wine uses Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo grapes. The most expensive wine in Spain, made by Vega Sicilia, comes from this region.

Other famous red wine regions in Spain include Navarra, Priorato, Penedès and Albariño.

The most famous white wine in Spain comes from Rueda.

Spain is also famous for sherry, a fortified wine which comes from Jerez, in the south-west of the country; and for cava, a Catalan sparkling white wine, similar to champagne.

 

Spanish Wine Regions                                                                     { Spanish wine Regions }

If you're looking to really delve into and learn about the intricacies of the Spanish wine culture, many of the vineyards and bodegas - some of which are hundreds of years old and feature stunning architecture - offer tours and of course generous samplings. The regions of Ribera del Duero, Priorat, and especially La Rioja boast their deliciously hearty red wines. For top-notch white and sparkling wines, Catalonia's Penedes region is the place to be, while the Galician region of the Rias Baixas has earned quite a reputation for its array of fruity white wines.

 

Spanish Wine: Sherry                                                          { Spanish Sherries guide }

One of Spain's most famous contributions to the international wine scene is its sherry (jerez). In fact, all of the world's genuine sherry comes from the region surrounding the small Spanish city of Jerez- which lends its name to its wine product. The sherry varieties, ranging from the light and refreshing manzanillas and finos to the darker and stronger olorosos and Pedro Ximénez, are Spanish wines that are popular throughout Spain, especially in Andalusia, and the world.

 

 

 

Spanish Wine: Cava                                                   {   Spanish Cava Guide and History }

Cava, Spain's tasty response to France's champagne, is a sparkling Spanish wine that hails principally from the Spanish wine regions of Catalonia, Aragón, and Navarre. Like with sherry, its international presence once again puts Spain on the

 

 

 

 

 

Spanish Beers                                                                        { Guide to Beer in Spain }

While Spain is without a doubt a wine culture, Spanish beer - or cerveza - certainly pulls its own weight. When in Spain, why not try a Spanish beer- you can drink your more-known American and Belgian beers anywhere! As you hop from city to city, ask bartenders about regional beers as there are tons. However, there is also a handful of well-established national Spanish beer brands to be found throughout.

Also, for a lighter but equally refreshing alternative, ask for a clara. A normal clara is one part Spanish beer and one part Casera (like tonic water with just a hint of lemon-flavoring), while a clara con limón (clara with lemon) is one part beer and one part lemon soda.

 

Sangría                                                                                       { Sangria Recipes  }

The sangría recipe simply does not exist. Depending on the region and on personal preferences, you can find many sangría recipe variations:                         different fruit ratios, with or without added liqueors, with or without carbonation, red wine or white wine, etc.