Do you want to add an original touch to your Easter celebrations this year? We suggest that – without spending too much money – you make some room for a Spanish wine on your table. We’ve selected some of the best value for money Spanish wines around, both from more established regions and from other areas that are fast becoming real discoveries for Spanish wine aficionados.

Rioja: the safe bet
Of all our red wines, Rioja is undoubtedly the most well-known around the world. From this prolific region we have chosen to highlight two names that have become especially emblematic of the DO.

Remelluri, a wine in a more classical style, was one of the first Rioja reds to adopt the château concept. This is a red wine that is everything you’d expect from a high-quality Rioja.

The more modern Viñas de Gaín sums up all the savoir faire of one of the great names of the region, Artadi, a winery justifiably renowned for such wines as Viña El Pisón, Grandes Añadas and Pagos Viejos. Their impeccably made Viñas de Gaín is the D.O.’s great value for money wine: perfectly balanced, expressive, with an abundance of fruitiness and excellent table manners.

Bierzo: the DO of the moment
Situated in the region of León, with Galicia on the one side and Castile on the other, El Bierzo produces red wines with a unique character that comes from the Mencía grape variety, believed to be related to the Cabarnet Franc. This more northerly location makes wines from El Bierzo firmer and fresher than we have come to expect from Spanish reds. Modern creations like Tilenus we are suggesting produce concentrated reds that are very fruity and balsamic, and that show real spirit. Try the new taste of Spain.

Empordà-Costa Brava: the new sensation in Catalan wines
This is the northernmost D.O. in Catalonia, almost on the French border and very much marked by the influence of the Mediterranean Sea, which is especially wild along this stretch of coastline. In this very touristy area, full of marinas and hotels, wine production has grown in importance in recent years thanks to a intelligent combination of local grapes (Garnacha and Cariñena in particular) with foreign varieties (Cabarnet, Merlot and Syrah). Castillo de Perelada is the region’s star winery, and their Finca Malaveïna is a concentrated, modern red at an exceptional price. A real find.

Toro: powerful reds
This region has become the second “promised land” of Spanish wine after Ribera del Duero. Indeed, many wineries from Ribera del Duero (including Vega Sicilia itself) have followed their much-loved river westwards to set up in this warmer region, famous for its sweet, full-bodied reds – wines which, we should add, provide excellent company in hard winters like the one we’ve just had. Bear that in mind if you think it’s going to be cold and rainy this Easter. You’ll feel much better with an Elías Mora in your glass, a reliable Toro with all the character typical of the region and a certain finesse that adds to its value.