The wonderfully rich and diverse Spanish countryside is home to a wealth of vine varieties producing amazing wines meaning that any wine lovers who also enjoy All Inclusive Spain Holidays are in for a real treat!
Usually when you notice that the wines in an all-inclusive resort are “local only” it’s cause for concern (more so if you’re in Bulgaria or Croatia for example!), but with so many regions of Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, producing world class wines these days, you may well be in for quite the treat when flashing that All Inclusive wristband!
Spain is wonderfully diverse from north to south with the north providing a lush and green countryside in Cantabria, Galicia and Asturias which allows for the production of top notch wines like zesty Albarino which pairs well with seafood and the serious Mencia, a robust and tannic red.
The central plains of La Rioja and Burgos are home to the famous and much loved Rioja and Ribera del Duoro reds produced with the silky smooth Tempranillo grape that we Brits love.
The Catalan region with its dark and brooding Priorat and light, bubbly and biscuit Cava is a great region to go All-Inclusive including the city of Barcelona or the resort towns of Sitges, Salou, Roses and Tossa del Mar. The Catalans are fiercely proud of their wine as well they might as it garners accolades from around the world.
However, with the large and famous holiday resorts mainly located in the south of Spain you’ll find that even here, where it looks like viticulture may be tough, you can find amazing wines. If you’re lucky enough to be holidaying in Marbella, Fuengirola or Malaga you’ll be able to enjoy fine local sherries, often for a couple of euros, the quintessential drink to enjoy with Tapas.
On the Canary Islands, Lanzarote has been developing a real name for itself over the past decade. During the past 10 years, the wine industry has seen a new lease of life and investment has resulted in the Island producing award winning wine. White has been the main wine from the native Malvasia, Moscatel and Diego grape varieties. In addition Lanzarote has some lovely reds from the Listan Negro & increasingly Syrah varieties. There are many vineyard tours you can now take and it’s quite the sight to see vines growing out of the black volcanic soils which add so much to these wines.
Majorca has been producing wines since Roman times with Pliny the Elder espousing their virtues. Today Majorca has a range of local and international varieties planted in its rich soils and is famous for the local Moli but also has a fine range of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Syrah plantings. These international varieties are the favourites of the local resorts.
Spain is home to some of the world’s finest, red, white, sparkling and sweet wines and is intensely and rightly proud of its ever improving production. You will find the local resorts on the Costa Brava, Costa del Sol and the Islands will be only too willing to share in the local wine stories and point you in the direction of their best local wines. All of these resorts will offer wine tasting trips out to the local vineyards too if your curiosity is piqued!
Those going on a city break, will find that the wines from all over Spain will be readily available, the cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Seville all have wine festivals and all celebrate in the local wines as well as stocking a variety from throughout Spain as many Spaniards from the countryside now live in the big cities and want a taste of home.
So, there you have it. If you’re going all-inclusive to Spain do make a bee-line for the wine list and not just the cocktail bar!
This blog post was provided by
CoolerSomm MD Sarah Newton, an avid wine lover and ex-Teletextpert!
