Wine is often considered a staple in European households, sometimes beating out water as the most consumed liquid. I know in my own case, my grandfather once asked me if I was intending to wash the floor when I offered him a glass of water on a hot summer’s day. I digress.
While wine’s only rival may be coffee when it comes to beverage dissection, fussing, and gradation, I would deem the former to be deeper as it actually includes the latter as a primary taste quality. “Earthy tones of coffee grounds round out this bold red,” a sommelier might say.
In this article, I will provide high-level analyses of many prized European wines from Spain, France, and Italy. We’ll cover factors like origin, ideal growth environment, socio-cultural significance, food pairings, qualities, acidity, and that fun but elusive word—tannins. Basically, if your lips pucker and your mouth feels dry, your wine is higher in them. We’ll start our journey off in the Iberian coast, indulging in some fruity and herby wines whose grapes make more balanced and reliable drinking experiences.
Spain and its commitment to revitalizing the past
Temperamental Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a Spanish grape that is said to have been brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Phoenicians. Ironically, it’s almost exclusively found in Spain and Portugal, with some planting in the United States, Southern France, and Argentina. It goes by two alternative names, “Tinta del País” and “Tinta del Toro.” The former loosely translates to “country red,” while the latter is an eponym of the region where it’s grown (Toro, Spain).
Now that this medium-full body European wine has made its entrance, it’s time to dive further into its renowned qualities. Some note that Tempranillo possesses cherry, dried fig, cedar, and tobacco characteristics. While none of these attributes are particularly strange or unpleasant in my opinion, it has another distinct primary quality: dill. I’m no sommelier, but I do drink Tempranillo-based wines like Campo Viejo Tempranillo and Montecillo Rioja Reserva. Other characteristics commonly listed on the packaging are like flavours of chocolate, licorice, and even orange, but I’ve never tasted this herb before. It goes to show that no matter how many times you consume something, there will always be someone else with an interpretation you’d never previously considered.
Consequently, its vast array of flavours allows it to pair well with red meats like steak, lamb, or even burgers. High tannin levels and a commensurate amount of acidity make this wine a balanced yet remarkable and pleasant experience.
Garnacha’s return to prominence
If you misread that as Grenache, don’t be too hard on yourself. This wonderful grape made its way over to France by that name, despite its origins in the windy and arid climate of Aragon, Northeast Spain. While it is the third most popular variety in Spain, behind Tempranillo and Bobal, it possesses a story the others don’t. A resurgence of interest in preserving this ancient grape has seen Garnacha rise back up, allowing this resilient fruit to produce a finish light in tannins but potent in alcohol. While storing it in oak barrels can help to raise tannin levels, this European wine has a tendency to oxidize if not handled properly.
The lack of tannin and earthiness actually makes Garnacha a versatile and reliable yield. Its high alcohol concentration and light, fruity flavours make it great for combining with its counterpart wine, Tempranillo, to provide more body in blended wines. However, it’s important to note that Garnacha is not restricted to its homeland. In fact, it mixes well with French wines like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Due to its versatility, resiliency, and reliability, the Garnacha grape and its corresponding beverages deserve an honourable mention on this list as outstanding Spanish products and European wines.
France and French wines: Ubiquity in a bottle
Shine on, Syrah
Power and intensity characterize this European wine. Tracing its lineage back to the Rhône Valley, Syrah (or Shiraz, in Australia), is a full-bodied and rich wine known for its smokiness, depth, and its pairing with hearty and rich dishes. While Syrah does boast of a full body, bountiful in sweet and savoury fruit flavours, it is not necessarily overwhelming with tannins.
Classified as “medium-high” in this aforementioned category, the smokiness I described is actually the wine’s secondary quality. These are attributes that justify the moniker of a balanced wine, with sweet and fruity notes backed up by earthy, leathery, and woodsy secondaries. Thanks to all of these elements, Syrah makes a great partner to rich dishes like ribs, pulled pork, stews, casseroles, and even aged cheeses.
So yes, for those of you who like to indulge in the occasional charcuterie board and/or enjoy sharper dairy snacks, Syrah is a great accompaniment to your spread. This is due to what is often described as an umami taste: the strong flavour attributed to meats and savoury foods. As such, mushroom-based dishes are also great matches for Syrah’s heavy and daring qualities.
We find in Syrah a wine that is so versatile and diverse it’s almost impossible to pin down within a few adjectives or modifiers. This, to me, is one of the highest praises a wine can receive. As someone who loves sharp cheeses, potent umami flavours, and does so without compromising an appreciation for the subtleties of lighter berry notes, Syrah is all that and a bag of chips. Which ironically, too, would pair rather well. Is there anything you can eat that doesn’t jive with this nectar?
Classic Cabernet Sauvignon
I’d have a hard time believing that this wine is foreign to anyone. It’s so notorious that it got its own holiday: International Cabernet Sauvignon day, celebrated on August 30th. That being said, it’s a relatively recent graft and the product is a portmanteau of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. As far back as the 18th century, this European wine flourished in the Bordeaux region of France thanks to its deep, rich soils. Paradoxically, the nature of the berry makes this fact almost irrelevant. Its trademark thick skin allows virtually any style of soil to accommodate its growth and yield a rather large crop. This is exemplary of Cabernet Sauvignon’s unbridled adaptability, making it the perfect grape for export, travel, and ubiquity. Whether in Israel or Italy, it will adjust to a new terroir and give you more than enough to work with.
Once there, it even protects itself with a powerful, astringent taste that deters pests from compromising the yield! What you do get is a dark, berry-filled delight that’s high in tannins and perfect for ageing. Of course, due to its virtual omnipresence, variegation in qualities will occur. The Old World yields rich and bold attributes like smokiness and savouriness. While in California and Chile, flavours of vanilla, mint, and even eucalyptus are common. Pairings with foods like steak, peppery sauces, and even chocolate-based dishes are ideal.
From Chile to China, this wine is enjoyed across multiple continents. I echo a sentiment I expressed earlier: the value of versatility, reliability, and diversity cannot go overstated when choosing premier wines. Additionally, I am an admirer of high tannins and will always appreciate lip-smacking dryness in my beverage. Astoundingly, Cabernet Sauvignon could have its status as a European wine reasonably questioned. For if there are more harvesters and drinkers outside of France than within, is its ancestry and grafting enough to maintain its categorization?
Italian soils: Scientific and sensually diverse
The Notorious Nero D’avola
A product found almost exclusively in Sicily, Nero D’avola is harvested in the plains and low hills of Avola. Protected from strong winds in its ideal natural environment, this wine delivers a strong, rich finish. Nero D’avola is a full-bodied and robust European wine, reported as far back as the 15th century. However, it distinguishes itself with a phenomenal cost-benefit analysis: a high-quality wine enjoyed for under $20. For casual wine drinkers who would like to try a bottle for an occasional meal, it doesn’t break the bank!
For said price, one can imbibe bold flavours ranging from prune and black cherry to licorice and tobacco. Additionally, Nero D’avola boasts an unusual virtue: it’s a sensual chimaera. Depending on which philosophy the winemaker follows, it can be heavy with earthy tones like chocolate and coffee, as a consequence of oak barrel ageing. Conversely, you can find herb-laden versions that are lighter and fruitier with notes of cherry. Either way, a moderate acidity accompanies its qualities with just the right amount of spice. Using this to your culinary advantage, pairing Nero D’avola with dishes like stews, burgers, black lentils, or shiitake mushrooms will bring out its best and play up its fruitier side.
Having presented the two winemaking ideologies, I have to say I’m partial to the former. The depth of flavour that accompanies an aged Nero D’avola lets me know what I’m drinking without being overpowered or neutralized by heartier foods. In my experience, this wine comes around during the holidays and wonderfully accompanies fish dishes like zuppe di pesce or pasta with tuna in a marinara sauce. While some seasoned drinkers may gasp or baulk at such a combination, I can attest to its delicacy and perfect coalescence into an epic, gourmet Christmas meal.
Puglia’s Primitivo (or so you’ve been told)
Primitivo is a wine with a detailed history and well-known qualities. Wafting over the Adriatic Sea to Italy during the 18th century, Primitivo, or Tribidrag, was first discovered in the Balkan soils of beautiful Croatia. This is a true European wine that thrives in environments with low hills and vast plains. Once it migrated to Southern Italy, its first plantings rather logically occurred around the low-plain ridden regions of Bari, Puglia. A Southern province comprising the heel of Italy’s iconic boot, this wine didn’t immediately resonate with local makers. It’s rather difficult to grow, especially in high volumes. This is due to the grape’s uneven ripening and laborious harvest.
While this may be so, the product is worth the effort. Possessing rustic and rich notes of cherry, strawberry, blackberry, and raisin, this earthy wine is high in alcohol but delivers a sweet finish steeped in tannins. Thanks to calcium-rich soils sitting atop limestone, Primitivo grapes can burrow deep into the eroded stone and access a bevy of rich minerals. These ideal geological and environmental characteristics enable the production of an intense, powerful, full-bodied red wine. It pairs exceptionally well with foods like braised lamb, blood sausage, steak, or, for a vegetarian alternative, eggplant parmigiana.
While I don’t have much experience with this wine, I can’t wait to have it accompany my next meat dish! The best part is that the Primitivo grape is genetically identical to Zinfandel, a robust red wine frequently grown in California. While it may not drink in exactly the same way, both do possess a slight fruity sweetness.
European wine wandering and the profundity of the process
The soils, grapes, climates, and histories of these three countries have collaborated to produce reputable, delicious, and unique wines that possess true staying power. Whether you’re enjoying a fruity and balanced Tempranillo or basking in the bold intensity of a rich and smoky Syrah, these complex flavours, notes, and qualities produce experiences that transcend the sum of their properties. You can choose to savour them on their own or with tasty accompanying dishes, but these European wines deserve all the acclaim, dissection, and attention they receive. Wine tasting and making is far deeper than a simple pastime or desire to procure your own supply of alcohol. The richness of world history, boldness of scientific experimentations, and pairings of cultural and social ideas comprise the true qualities of these beverages, irrespective of whether you fully grasp what a tannin is!