Best Spanish-style wines in Paso Robles for the holidays
Spanish-style wines in Paso Robles are growing in popularity. It seems that every year more wineries are releasing albarinos, tempranillos and even garnacha wines. We received several Spanish-style white and red wines for holiday wine reviews. They will pair well with tapas, appetizers and most holiday meals. We have included some of the best below:
Top local Spanish-style wines
Bovino Vineyards 2015 Joludi Tempranillo – $36
This is a medium- to full-bodied tempranillo, ruby red in color with red fruit characteristics of berries, cherries, and plums. Aromas and flavors also include tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb. Enjoy the dark, velvety texture with grilled meat, chicken, stews, seafood, and aged cheeses.
Broken Earth Winery 2018 Albarino 2018 – $24
This delightful white wine offers aromas of fresh-cut grass and tropical fruit, this Portuguese variety offers balanced botanical and acidic flavors on the palate. Pair with seafood like oysters, scallops, or pan-seared white fish.
Bushong 2018 ‘Sleep Angels’ Barbera – $37
This is a 100% barbera from winemaker Jason Bushong from grapes grown on the Famous Author Vineyard in Paso Robles. It is a rich, smooth and balanced red wine. Bushong says, “This gorgeous wine provokes all the senses with rich aromas of incense transforming into butterscotch while the palate is dreamy of red brambleberry, decadent plum, and black cherry.” We agree!
Diablo Paso 2016 Garnacha – $42
Though the French varietal Grenache is perhaps more widely known, the Spanish garnacha is one of the oldest varieties grown in California. Spanish settlers along the west coast began planting garnacha, which originated in the Spanish province of Aragon, in the mid-1800s for wine production. This wine used whole-cluster fermentation. The result is a rich and elegant yet medium-bodied wine, with a violet rim and orange highlights and a deep cherry tone at the core.
Felten Cellars 2015 Tempranillo – $34
This is a 100% tempranillo grown in the Adelaide District. The wine offers intense, ripe aromas of bing cherry and plum, with spicy notes of cinnamon and pepper. It’s full-bodied with flavors of blueberry and mocha. It will pair well with any red meat dish or rich chocolate desserts.
Opolo 2018 Albarino – $26
This delightful Spanish-styled white wine was made from grapes grown in Edna Valley. It offers aromas and flavors of melons, ripe nectarines, and a hint of basil. It has a crisp finish.
Opolo 2016 Tempranillo – $30
This wine has a lively nose of plum, dried cranberry, crushed rock and a hint of campfire smoke, delivers a luxurious mouthfeel of cranberry laced with Asian spice. These flavors lead into polished tannins that linger and last to the finish. Drink now, or age for 10+ years with proper cellaring.
Ranchero Cellars 2016 Revolver – $48
Evoking the rustic and muscular style of Spanish red wines, this blend of tempranillo and carignan shows dark fruit and velvety tannins. On the nose, the tempranillo imparts ripe cherry and plum, with a bit of smoke and leather, while the carignan brings fresh black raspberry, loamy earth, and spice. In the mouth, the wine is lush and supple, with a surprisingly firm backbone. It finishes long with a hint of sweet tobacco and plenty of rich fruit. It earned platinum medals from the San Diego International Wine Competition and the Monterey International Wine Competition.
Vista Del Rey Vineyards 2018 “Toro Negro” Barbera – $30
A wonderful Spanish-style varietal from winemaker Dave King. It has a medium ruby color with aromas and flavors of plum, cherry, and rhubarb. Pairs well with barbecued sausage, pork, and chicken.
Look for more wine recommendations
• Best local sparkling wines for the holidays
• Best local rosé wines for the holidays
• Best local white wines for the holidays
• Best local pinot noir wines for the holidays
• Best local zinfandel and Italian-style wines for the holidays
• Best Spanish-style wines in Paso Robles for the holidays
• Best local cabernet sauvignon wines for the holidays
• Best local Rhone-style red wines for the holidays
• Best local dessert wines for the holidays
Publisher’s note: For the sixth year in a row we thought it would be a great idea to recommend local wines for upcoming holiday parties and dinners. Once again, we received an amazing amount of participation from our local wineries. Over the last few weeks, we received more than 100 entries. After tasting and tasting and tasting, there were many solid, well-made wines to recommend. We have created several lists of top local wines into categories. The recommended wines above are in alphabetical order.
Click here to check out the best places for Paso Robles wine tasting
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