Spain- First Impressions

Try and remember when wine became special to you. Where were you. Who was there? Are those people still special to you? Are they still in your life? Can you remember your first experience with wine? By that I mean beyond the first time you had someone older get a box of cheap stuff for you and your friends to get drunk when you were young. I mean that first time you came to the realisation that wine was important and that you truly enjoyed it for its many qualities.

Sunrise over the vineyards in la Rioja

For me it was when I was still quite young, aged 17 and on a school trip in Spain. Before then, I never really liked the wine my parents offered to me from the comforts of home and in all honesty never really took to any alcoholic beverage in any real way. Those were the days when wine was sour, beer was bitter and whisky was petrol. This taught me that context is everything when it comes to acquiring tastes.

For a young language student heavily intent upon gaining all he can from that journey into a new part of the world, such a context is an irresistible experience. It's hardly surprising that the wine is more engaging, and therefore more enticing when it is part of something greater, something bigger. In Spain, the romance of wine and food was evident at all times; from sherry country in Andalucia to the countless family vineyards of Catalunya, the beauty of Spain's countryside is often intrinsically linked to the beauty of it's wine regions.

Wine goes with everything in Spain to the point that it seems as inherently a part of the Spanish identity as music, religion, food and folklore. Every part of every day can be accompanied by the appropriate wines. I can't imagine anything better than a lunch of fresh Galician seafood with a nice fresh white from Rias Baixas, a lazy afternoon with a chilly glass of fino and a beautiful rich lamb with a rich, spicy Rioja.

El Alhambra, the stunning fortress of Granada.

What better way to spend the evening, amongst friends listening to live music in a Granada cafe with a big carafe of whatever the house is serving? I can think of nothing better than to while away the day thusly.  As a 17-year-old high school kid, I was lucky to have experienced this so young.

To this day I still seek out the perfect example of Spanish wine to remind me of those fondly recalled days of youth. Priorat, Rioja and Ribera del Duero harken back to those days and remind me of the bustle of Madrid, the music of Granada, the flavours of Sevilla and the aromas of Valencia. All reminding me of the first joys I took in wine.

For me those two weeks of adventure in Spain will never be forgotten and the country has always held a special place in my heart as will the friends I shared at experience with. I hope you all have an equally positive memory of your first enchantment with wine.

Mucho amor,
G