Stationed on the fourth and fifth floors of London’s Science Museum, the Wines from Spain annual tasting is in full swing when the Drinks Retailing team arrives. A gathering of importers and producers alike, the event offers tastings and masterclasses throughout the day.
Amid it all, one question keeps surfacing more than any other: Is Spain moving away from red wine? Looking at the sheer amount of Rioja, the answer seems to be a clear no.
Yet, it’s white wine that’s seemingly creating the most excitement. Andrew Lamberth, account director at Félix Solís Avantis, explains that while the brand’s red wine, Mucho Más, “is the fastest growing Spanish brand in the market,” there is more of an emphasis than ever on up-and-coming whites from Spain.
“We’re seeing a big spike in sales in some of the indigenous Spanish grapes,” Lamberth says, “Albariño has been a thing for a while but also there are new Verdejo listings in Waitrose and Tesco for instance, which is a reflection that people are latching onto these varieties.”
On the fourth floor, Spanish wine expert and co-chair of Decanter World Wine Awards, Beth Willard, is equally most eager to talk about whites. Leading a tasting of six trending Spanish wines, four of the glasses are white. “White wine is incredibly exciting in Spain right now,” she says. “Sales are continuously growing in the export market too, which is really interesting for a country traditionally known for its heavy reds.”
Willard explains that classically Spain has focused on young white wines but now “there’s a really exciting movement of gastronomic white wines and white wines with the potential to age”.
Her lineup reflects this change, starting with Moscatel, sold by Amathus and fermented in used French oak. Next, Airén, a grape that Willard says has a changing reputation for the better. Following, a 2016 Txakoli wine, made with 100% Hondarrabi Zuri, a white variety native to the Basque region. And finally, a village white, containing Albariño, Treixadura, Caíño Blanco and Albillo.
Back upstairs, Mauro Scarlato from Amathus echoes Willard’s thoughts on complicated white wines. He says: “I’m having great success selling white wine in the winter. These are wines with a little more richness and texture compared with others. They work in the winter for meals like a Sunday roast or a fish pie.”
Al McNair, brand manager at Hatch Mansfield, highlights wines [such as Albariño] from the northwest in Galicia which are “very gastronomic and have a beautiful acidity and saline character”. He adds that, as for reds, he’s seeing much lighter and fresher styles. As whites garner a reputation for complexity, “People are moving away from richer styles of red” and towards higher acidity and more balance.
Colin Cameron, marketing director at Hallgarten & Novum Wines, ties this shift to broader market trends. While red still currently dominates Hallgarten’s sales, making up 62% of volume, he says this may change. “People are buying fewer reds, partly because they tend to be higher in alcohol, and there’s a growing movement to drink less. But also due to wine duty implications,” he says. This naturally favours both lower-alcohol reds and fresher white wines.
Overall, boundaries are shifting. Conversations at Wines from Spain make it clear: Spanish whites don’t have to be simple, and Spanish reds don’t have to be rich. Both categories are changing in compelling ways.