The Wines of Spain - the definitive list


 

Jose Suro

TVWBB All-Star
Hi all,

I've always had an affinity for fine wines, so much so I have many books on the subject. After many a bottle I am partial to what the Brits call a "claret". This is basically a French red wine from the higher elevations of Medoc in the Bordeaux region. Unfortunately, the good ones are VERY expensive. My favorite ever was a case of 1964 Chateau Margaux my dad acquired back in the late seventies.

There is however, an alternative. The wines of Spain, specifically those from Rioja. Spain produces very comparable "clarets" at a much lower price point. This is because during the great French grape blight of the 19th century many French growers crossed the Pyrenees into Spain with all their expertise and equipment, including their very old aging caskets. This all stayed in Rioja, making it a superior wine producing region for clarets.

So, how can we find good Spanish wines?

Having lived in Florida for most of my life and being of Spanish descent I have frequented the Columbia Restaurant for years. And not only do they have great food, they are one of THE consummate experts on Spanish wines. To quote:

"Our 265-page award-winning wine list contains more than 1,056 wines with an inventory exceeding 50,000 bottles. It is recognized by many of Spain’s leading winemakers including Hall of Famer Miguel Torres and Vega-Sicilia’s Pablo Alvarez as having the most complete and the world’s best collection in the world of wines from Spain. We also carry a selection of wines from Chile and America."

And guess what? They have the list, along with descriptions and regional explanations on a PDF! It is a 35MB download (BIG) but can be found here:

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/pdfs/wine_list.pdf

This list is priceless!

Best,

Jose
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the PDF
I've become quite the fan of Chilean wine and like the wines from Spain, great quality yet not bank breaker

http://www.winesofchile.org/

Thanks for the link as well :). Forgot to mention that the prices on the list are their prices when served in the restaurant. Most all of those wines can be found at street prices that are 100~150% less than quoted.
 
Thanks Jose; I've been to Tampa and dined at the Columbia restaurant. I had a great meal and wonderful experience there! Really, if anyone is ever in the area, they should do all they can to experience their wonderful food, ambiance and extensive wine list. I have been in California all my adult life and enjoy many great wines here in Monterey as well as throughout our state. But we don't have much in the way of spanish varietals. Oh there are some vinters that try their hand with the tempernillo, but very few and those aren't highly sought. My wife and a few friends went to Spain a couple years ago and I explored the world of Rioja wines along with others. But Rioja's were my favorite and I learned a bit of a trick there was to order Rioja Crianza - barrel aged and a great value as compared to the reserves which were aged much longer. I won't admit to how many bottles we enjoyed but let's just say we worked diligently at sampling as much as we could.

Another Tampa landmark with a very impressive wine inventory (this is an understatement) and fantastic steaks is Bern's which you undoubtedly have enjoyed. I was there with my brother and the manager gave us a private tour of their cellar.

Spain was a delight in just about every regard including their wines and I look forward to returning soon. Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge!
 

 

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