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Spain
Central to the Spanish winemaking philosophy is the belief that wine should be released only when it is ready to be consumed, and not a moment before. Spanish wine law focuses squarely on this issue: the terms Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are highly regulated indicators of the amount of time a wine has aged prior to its release. In Rioja, Navarra, and the Ribera del Duero (which have the...
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Cava
Dry, delicious Cava is an excellent Champagne alternative. The best examples are aged on the lees (the spent yeast cells used in fermentation) and show complexity to rival that of the best Champagnes.
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Xarel-lo
Growing primarily in the northeastern region of Catalonia, Xarel-lo is most famous for its role in the production of the Spanish sparkling wine known as Cava (along with Macabeo and Parellada). Xarel-lo is occasionally bottled on its own as a deliciously crisp still wine, frequently filled with notes of stone fruits and herbs.
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Parellada
Along with Macabeo and Xarel-lo, this is one of the three grapes that make up the traditional Cava blend. Occasionally blended with better-known varieties (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc) in delightful still whites, Parellada yields light and firmly acidic wines with pleasing floral aromas.
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Macabeo
Along with Parellada and Xarel-lo, this is one of the three grapes that make up the traditional Cava blend, to which Macabeo contributes floral, sometimes peachy aromas and round fruit flavors. Macabeo may also be blended into still white wines; though this practice is far from common, some intriguing still bottlings have been appearing recently.
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