Bright, pure and rich: The 7 best Spanish white wines OUR expert’s verdict on moreish Spanish whites is viva España! GETTYSpain is one of the largest wine-producing countries in the world, but it’s predominantly a red wine country. While Spanish reds can be excellent and offer great value for money, don’t forget about the country’s whites, which have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years.The northwestern region of Rías Baixas is one of the key white areas, as it’s cooler, but there are also interesting whites coming from other red-dominated regions, too. Here is my selection of the best value-for-money whites. (01438 740222), 13% alcoholMade from the rare albillo mayor grape from 100-year-old vines, this is bright, pure and minerally with attractive citrus and pear fruit flavours. Lagar de Cervera Albariño 2014, Rías Baixas, Spain £14.95, tanners-wines.co.uk (01743 234500), 12.5% alcoholThis is a delicious albariño that’s lively and focused with zesty grapefruit and lemon flavours, a bit of pithiness and a keen citrussy finish.

Monte Blanco de Ramón Bilbao Verdejo 2014, Rueda, Spain £11, thedailydrinker.co.uk (01380 827291), 12.5% alcoholRueda is one of Spain’s leading white wine regions and as well as sauvignon blanc, the local verdejo grape does well here. buy wine franceThis is rounded and flavoursome with notes of grapefruit, passion fruit and some stony, mineral notes. new wine 2015 speakersMost Wanted Albariño 2014, Rías Baixas, Spain £7.99, TheCo-operative, 12.5% alcoholHere’s a rich expression of the albariño grape, with a nutty almond and fennel edge to the ripe apple and pear fruit flavours. buy good daughter wineDespite the richness, though, it manages to be fresh and dry. best wine for period

WM Morrison Canto Real Verdejo 2014, Rueda, Spain£7.99, Morrisons, 12.5% alcoholVerdejo is the grape variety in Rueda, and this bottle is a rounded yet fresh white with an attractive grassy edge to the lush pear and citrus fruit. best white wine categoryTorres Viña Esmerelda 2014, Spain £8.49, Waitrose, Majestic, Tesco, Booths, 11% alcoholThis well-known blend of muscat and gewürztraminer has been made by Torres since 1976. best wines 2014 christmasIt’s grapey and fresh with lovely lychee flavours and a hint of sweetness. This is fruity, friendly and full of taste. Martín Códax As Caixas Godello 2014, Rías Baixas, Spain £9.99, Majestic, 13% alcoholGodello is a interesting grape variety grown in the northwest of Spain. This has pleasant focus and weight with bright citrus and pear fruitiness. There’s lots of flavour, but it’s not heavy.

Log In / Join Now News & Features Home What Am I Tasting Food & Travel Home Wine & Food Pairing Free Trial Online Membership Home News & Features Tasting Highlights 10 Great Spanish White Wine Values New reviews of Albariño, Verdejo, Viura and more Thomas Matthews Posted: September 9, 2016 Join today and get immediate access to this article, and to our entire database of more than 345,000 wine ratings. It only takes moments—but it will help you drink better all year long. START FREE 30-DAY TRIAL See all from Tasting HighlightsHome  /  Discovery  /  At Table with the Experts  /  The Spanish Market Basket  /  Wine and Cheese: Exploring Spain’s Best  / Spain’s Top White Wines: Two to Know Although Spain’s red wines have led the way in the export market, its white wines are up and coming. Two regions in particular can claim to produce whites of international stature. These regions use different grapes but achieve roughly the same end: fresh, crisp and fruity white wines that are delightful with Spain’s bountiful seafood.

The Galicia region, on Spain’s northwest coast, boasts a cool, maritime climate and abundant rainfall, perfect for white wine grapes. Spaniards call this area “Green Spain” for the year-round lushness of the landscape; it could hardly be more different from the arid plains of La Mancha that constitute most foreigners’ vision of Spain. The principal grape-growing area in Galicia is Rías Baixas (REE-uss BAY-shuss). Wines produced there qualify for the Rías Baixas DO (denomination of origin) as long as they meet certain guidelines. The dominant grape is the Albariño, and although the DO regulations permit other grapes in the blend, many of the top producers use only Albariño. The wines are fermented in temperate-controlled stainless steel tanks to maintain their crispness. A few producers age the wines in oak to flesh out the aroma and texture. Head inland to the region of Old Castile and the Rueda DO to find Spain’s other great white wine—some would say its greatest.

Made largely from the Verdejo grape, Rueda wines for centuries were vinified and fortified like sherry and allowed to oxidize intentionally. Not until the 1970s did winemakers begin to abandon that style in favor of techniques that would preserve the wine’s freshness. Today, although sherry-style Rueda still exists, most of the exported Rueda DO is reliably bright and vivacious, with no hint of oxidation. Rueda Superior must contain at least 85 percent Verdejo. Other white grapes, including Sauvignon Blanc, are allowed in Rueda DO but Verdejo accounts for 70 percent of the harvest. Spain’s Red Wine Revolution: Beyond Rioja Spain’s Artisan Cheeses: A Survivors’ Tale Spanish Cheeses Every Enthusiast Should KnowAnd now for some affordable, refreshing white wines from Spain. That's a pleasant group of words, isn't it? I'm thinking of the wines from the Rueda region in this case — wines based on the verdejo grape variety that can ably offer an alternative to those looking for a break from their default order of pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.

To qualify "affordable," consider that it is pretty easy to find a good Rueda verdejo that doesn't even venture into the teens, pricewise. In other words, there is really no reason not to try this wine.Rueda is in northwestern Spain in the larger Castile and Leon region, occupying the high plains (roughly 2,300 to 2,600 feet elevation) northwest of Madrid, inching toward the northeastern corner of Portugal. It is a medium-sized region, compared with others in Spain, concentrated mostly around the town of Rueda, just south of the city of Valladolid. Directly to the west of Rueda is the Toro wine region, known for its tempranillo-based reds. Likewise, to the east, the Ribera del Duero region is renowned for its tempranillos. All three regions are linked, like grape bunches hanging from a vine, by the Duero River. The waterway cuts through the very northern edge of Rueda as it makes its way west to Portugal (where its name changes to Douro) and eventually spills out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Although reds are made in Rueda — just as in those neighboring regions known for them — Rueda has a reputation of being one of Spain's best white-wine regions, producing dry, medium-bodied blends and varietals. (For the record, Rueda winemakers also produce rosés and sparkling wines.)Sauvignon blanc, viura and palomino fino are allowed in Rueda whites, but the undisputed star of the region is the aforementioned verdejo. It is an aromatic grape and can offer notes of citrus, stone fruits and tropical fruits, herbs, anise, a floral essence, almonds and even a touch of bitterness. Rueda verdejos are rarely fermented or aged in oak, giving them a refreshing quality that lends itself to being both a fine aperitif and a worthy companion to appetizers, salads, pasta, shellfish, sushi and white meats. While the verdejo grape variety has a centuries-old history in the Rueda region — and is believed to hail from there — it was only in the 1970s, when the area went through a winemaking transformation, that the grape came to define the area's hallmark white-wine style.

And then, in 1980 an official Rueda D.O. was established. There are several styles of wines within the Rueda appellation, and for a white wine to be classified as "Rueda" it must contain at least 50 percent verdejo. To be classified as "Rueda Verdejo," it must be made of at least 85 percent verdejo, though many Rueda Verdejo wines are 100 percent varietals.This brings us to an unusual tradition in Rueda. Instead of referring to their verdejo-based wines strictly as "Rueda," as is the case in most of the Old World (to name a wine for its place rather than its grape variety), Rueda wines also proudly carry the "Verdejo" name on their labels. It's a great thing for consumers because it lets us know at a glance just exactly what we are getting without having to memorize every region's allowed grape varieties or search the fine print on the back of the bottle and hope the grapes are listed.Dry, fruity, refreshing wine from Spain that is easy to understand and immensely affordable? There's another fine group of words.

Look to Rueda for Saturday-in-the-sun wines that also clean up nicely for dinner that night. Whether the sun is shining or not, make sure to give them a little chill and appreciate them for what they are — refreshing wines that offer a nice alternative to the dry white standbys. Below are 10 wines from Rueda, all of them verdejo varietals hovering in the neighborhood of 13 percent alcohol. They are listed in ascending order, according to price. More than half of them ring up at $11 or less.2015 Nave Sur Verdejo. Floral and full of minerality, this organic wine was lemony and refreshing, and would make for a nice, light aperitif. $82015 Vega de la Reina Rueda Verdejo. This one had ripe stone fruits, pleasantly tart citrus, minerality, anise and spice on the finish. $92015 Carrasvinas Rueda Verdejo. Tropical notes, pineapple, hay, melon and anise came together in this soft and spicy wine. $102015 Marques de Caceres Verdejo. Ripe citrus and pineapple were complemented by other tropical fruits, minerality and a silky mouthfeel.