Spanish wine variety right at home in Australia 0 Likes

If you are in Australia and looking for some Spanish wine then you won’t be disheartened. As wine is Australia´s favourite alcoholic drink and you can find a new wave of bars, restaurants, wine shops and wine importers where Spanish wines are rocking.

Melbourne is known for some great food and wine capital you will find a broad range of restaurants and eateries all over the city seasoned by the proximity to the winemaking regions of Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula. Following are the places in Melbourne to offer you best Spanish wines.

At Movida, which is now popular Spanish Food & Wine Embassy in Australia has some great drinks menu. The food is unmistakable fresh with vibrant Spanish flavours. The wine list includes some of the key names in Spain plus some rarities, like Txakolí, White Viña Tondonia 1990, Garnachas from Méntrida, rosé and sweet Moscatel from Celler Espelt (Empordà-Costa Brava) and other sweet and fortified jewels.

If you are looking for truly traditional Spanish cuisine then The Robert Burns is the best. It was opened in 1984 and is run nowadays by a new, fresh Spanish team. Their wine list is dominated by top Spanish wines and it is classified according to their body, colour and texture, in a very approachable and easy-to-understand way.

You can also visit to Bellota which is located just behind the fabulous Prince Wine Store, a dynamic wine shop and education centre offering WSET qualifications as well as a really interesting selection of Spanish wines. Their selection of Mencía labels is worth checking.

Another interesting wine shop for Spanish Wines is Rathdowne Cellars, including The Wanderer, an interesting Carignan made by Australian winemaker Andrew Marks in D.O. Empordà-Costa Brava.

Bomba bar is also a great spot for Spanish wines and tapas with a great laid-back atmosphere and really friendly staff. Great for an after-work glass of wine.

At Sydney you can also find some great wine centres. There is also a Movida restaurant in Surry Hills with a jaunty atmosphere and great wines though smaller but cosier than its counterpart in Melbourne.

Delicado Foods & Wines describes itself as a “Spanish tapas wine bar, café and restaurant with an adjoining bottle shop created by a family devoted to Spanish food, wine and culture”. They have put together a comprehensive wine list with lots of references from all over the country.

Very close to the Circular Quay Station, in the heart of Sydney´s financial district you can find TapaVino, with an awesome selection of 300 wines and 80 sherries and it is considered Australia´s first dedicated Sherry bar.

The wine scene is much more active in New South Wales and Victoria than it is anywhere else, but there are interesting spots to enjoy and supply yourselves with exciting Spanish wines around the wine regions of South and Western Australia, like East End Cellars in Adelaide or Toro Wines Wholesalers and Pata Negra in Perth.

Also you can find Spanish wines at Dan Murphy’s stores all over the country.

Here are some of the home varieties you can enjoy.

TEMPRANILLO is one of the key varietals of Spain, especially in the Rioja and Central Meseta regions where it plays an important role as a single varietal and in blends. The wine can be produced in many styles such as a Reserva, well-aged in barrels before release, or it can be shipped out young and juicy in a Joven (yo-ven) style. "Temp'' is well suited to Australia climate and cuisine.

Sourced from Beechworth in the Victorian High Country. Produced in a Joven style, this jumps with pastilles, blueberry, soft earthy characters and light charry notes. The palate is pliable and amenable with plenty of bright cherry fruit and just the right amount of tannin to match grilled meats without dominating. Available at major retailers. With RRP: $35 it has ALC: 13.5%

Another is from La Bise, Adelaide Hills where the winemaker Natasha Mooney has more than 20 years' experience, including making the lauded E&E Black Pepper shiraz and working with the Fox Gordon wines. The La Bise brand is Tash out on her own. Aromas of dank cherry, pastille and cola finishing with a faint herby edge. Available from labisewines.com.au at RRP: $22 and with ALC: 14%

The Di Giorgio Family Wines, at Limestone Coast, is a large area that encompasses the bottom end of Coonawarra to the coast and the Victorian-SA border. Red currant and baked rhubarb wrapped with cedary oak make this a chunkier prospect than the others reviewed. The tannins are firm, bordering on astringent. Available from digiorgio.com.au and good retailers it costs RRP: $23 and has ALC: 13.5%

So it means you can now taste all Spanish wine right at your home country.