Let's Talk Wine

¿Como es tu español?

(How’s Your Spanish?)

Our next tasting will be an exploration of the wines of Spain. Do you love the culture, the music, the food and the wine of Spain and want to learn more? Then, this is the tasting for you! So that you’ll feel more “at home”, this short vocabulary will get you through the tasting just fine!

Beginner Spanish Wine/ Drinking Vocabulary

Beber– to Drink
Brindar– to toast or cheers
Boedga– this is what the Spanish refer to as a winery or wine cellar.  There is generally no vineyard nearby. Simply a place where you can buy wine, taste wine and sometimes take a tour of the premises.
Cata– Wine tasting (analytical and objective)
Cosecha– harvest of the grapes, often listed on bottles with year of harvest

Degustar/Probar– Try or Taste (subjective tasting)
Dejo– Aftertaste

Resaca– Hangover – if its really bad “rasaca fatal”
Uvas– grapes, the famous grape of La Rioja is called Tempranillo

How much are you drinking

Una botella– A bottle
Una media botella– Half bottle
Un Vaso– A glass

Types of Wine

Vino de la casa– House wine
Vino blanco– white wine
Vino tinto– red wine. (The Spanish don’t say vino rojo but instead tinto- tinted wine)
Vino de mesa– “table wine.” This wine is of a lesser quality and more for daily consumption.
Vino dulce– sweet wine
Vino seco– dry wine
Cava– natural sparkling wine

Want a little more?

Joven/vino del año– this wine, commonly referred to as ‘Rioja wine,’ is literally young wine or wine from the current year. These wines are usually the best when enjoyed within the first 6 months on the market and have a soft and fruity taste. With little to no oak barrel aging, they range from one to two years (maximum) old and are the cheapest of the bunch!

Crianza– The oak aging time of the Crianza is a minimum of one year, with a few months to a year in bottle. This wine has a light oak taste, but it is not too prominent. Basically a Crianza is your well-valued, upper-scale daily drinking wine, perfect for tapas hopping and casual conversation.

Reserva– Reservas are red wines with a minimum aging period of three years. They spend at least one of these years in oak barrels, following with at least two in the bottle. Most wine lovers declare Reservas the perfect Riojas- not too fruity, not too oakey, but just right.

Gran Reserva– While the aging process for the Gran Reserva is a minimum of 5 years, it is important not to rush the perfection of these superior Rioja wines. These deeply oakey ‘vintage’ wines are made with the best grapes and aged as long as the winemaker perceives is needed in both oak and in bottle.

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