I know many people who when asked about Spanish wines, recall mostly red wine varieties, somewhat ignoring the fact that white wine production has been here in place for centuries.
And I can not blame them. After all, in past Spain indeed placed a bet on red wine. Today, the table has turned, and more and more Spanish DOs produce pretty darn good whites, with the following varieties becoming local and international favorites:
Albariño (al-ba-riniyo). This crispy fresh wine is coming from a maritime DO Rias Baixas of northern Spain, namely Galicia. Local cuisine is all about seafood, and albariño makes a perfect pairing for grilled octopus, shrimps, and any fish really. Look for stone fruit aromas, floral influence, high acidity, and cool minerality.
Verdejo (ver-de-ho). This affordable wine is all about floral and fruity aromas. Spaniards love it as their daily white wine, and you might like it as well if you don’t mind some bay leaf notes. Whenever you see DO Rueda on your wine label, be sure Verdejo plays the major role in a blend.
Codello (go-dei-yo). Another wine from northern Galicia is more associated with complexity and balance, and relatively high price for this reason. Very much enjoyable, this wine doesn’t beg for pairing and is quite enjoyable on its own. This wine is perfect for international wine lovers since it can withstand long aging and is very agreeable in taste.
And then, there is my favorite but less popular Treixadura (trei-sha-du-ra); the queens of DO Penedes Xarel.lo (sha-rel-lo) and Viura (Macabeo), pride of Pais Basco Hondarribi Zuri and dozens of other grapes that soon will certainly claim their share of the success of Spanish white wines.