Anyday Tapas Dozen

Albilla, a locally treasured variety found only around the village of Villamalea in Manchuela, thrives in dry, warm climates due to its natural drought resistance. This dry-farmed wine gains added texture from time spent on its lees and you can expect mineral-driven citrus aromas that lead to a beautifully pithy, saline texture on the palate. Winemaker Norrel Robertson once again showcases his exceptional talent for crafting extraordinary and unconventional wines from overlooked vineyards, reviving and renewing the magic of Spanish wine.

Deep in colour, with raspberry flavour and a touch of spice, this inexpensive red really overdelivers. From sun-soaked vineyards in southern Spain where the monastrell grape excels. It's perfect for all the punchiest pizza flavours.

A modest, inexpensive Spanish red from the country's most famous grape. This is smooth, fruity and more mellow than usual with a touch of cedar. Everything about Bodegas Príncipe de Viana is vast. Owners of over 400 hectares of vines in Navarra, they control a further 500 hectares, but the winemaking approach is sensitive and modest, aiming always for clean, balanced flavours and offering superb value for money. It makes a delicious partner to Serrano ham and other Spanish charcuterie.

A juicy, spicy and fruity fresh style of monastrell, made by Elena Pacheco of Familia Pacheco, one of the most regarded estates in the Jumilla DO of south-east Spain. Round, ripe, fragrant and fruit-forward with raspberries and black cherries and earthy and balsamic undertones.

Cruz de Piedra comes from superb high-altitude vineyards (750 to 1100 metres above sea level) in Calatayud, a lesser known region south-east of Rioja. Made from the local Spanish grape macabeo, this is a clean, fruity and gentle white with attractive fresh lemony flavour which is really easy-drinking. Perfect with all kinds of Spanish seafood tapas. Boden Bodegas is like an oasis of life in a region where bare soils and liberal herbicide use are the norm, where neighbours think you’re a bad farmer if they see one weed on your farm. Louis Geirnaerdt, the energetic and inspiring owner of Bodem Bodegas, is on a mission to change that outdated mindset. Support from the Climate and Nature programme will help his team transition even faster to regenerative viticulture so they can demonstrate to their neighbours how farming with nature instead of against it can be more profitable and produce even better wine. It will help fund new natural composting systems, the planting of a range of crops between the vine rows to provide natural sun protection and nutrients for the soil, and the use of a ‘direct seeder’ so they don’t need to plough, a practice that damages the soil. This project is about leadership, showing the way to more natural, profitable and resilient farming.

Aromatic and expressive, this Spanish white offers a perfumed and fresh combination of peach, jasmine, rosewater and lime. The moscatel brings more exotic notes while a touch of sauvignon blanc lends focus and a refreshing crispness.

A smooth, round Spanish white which comes from Terra Alta, a small region near Barcelona. This is floral and appley, dry, with no oak, clean fruit and a refreshing finish that is super with spankingly fresh fish, simply grilled, seasoned and drizzled with great olive oil and lemon juice. Herencia Altés is committed to more sustainable ways of working and we are happy to name them as a Wine Society Pioneer for their efforts. Aiming for 90% self-sufficiency from solar panels and batteries in the next few years, the estate recycles wate water as part of an environmental projected started in 2016. They have installed bat shelters and nesting boxes for insect-eating birds to help control pests naturally, and have reintroduced barn owls and kestrels to the area, while promoting native flora with a botanical pond and planting 140,000 native plants. Since 2022 they’ve been members of IWCA (International Wineries for Climate Action).

This is not Rioja as you know it, made with carbonic maceration in the same way as Beaujolais, Israel Eguíluz is revealing the raw and beautiful juicy fruit of his Rioja village Ábalos. No oak, just bags of juiciness and a gorgeous bright violet colour. Black cherry, raspberry, plum and thyme jump out the glass and there's a gentle grip on the finish making it ideal for laid-back foods like pizza and cured meats.

In an off-the-radar region near Zaragoza in northern Spain, Mario López is crafting exceptional wines, with organic and sustainable practices always taking centre stage. This gateway to his whites is a gorgeous, unoaked wine, fresh, zesty, yet full of breadth and personality. Picked in the early morning after the cooling Cierzo wind swept through the Ebro Valley, this garnacha blanca is made from the finest free-run juice, with gentle winemaking and native yeasts preserving purity and aromatics. Notes of lemon balm, white flowers and subtle tropical fruit lead to a precise palate with an excellent finish. Naturally light in alcohol too, drink it well chilled with king prawns with garlic and white wine.

Unoaked, crunchy red from Bierzo in the cooler north-west of Spain. Mencía is the grape and it makes a fruity, plump and joyful style of wine that is a delight drunk lightly chilled with pimientos de padrón, small green peppers found everywhere in Galicia (and increasingly here in the UK) fried until blisterd and charred dnd sprinkled with sea salt. Luna Beberide are pioneers in this corner of the country, farming sustainably, without herbicides or pesticides. The vines are planted on south-facing slopes at 700-metres above sea level for the freshness that altitude brings.

It's unusual to find a white wine in the Montsant region of Catalunya, but leading Spanish cooperative Celler Masroig have produced a winner with this bright and elegant garnacha blanca, showcasing refreshing tropical fruits and Mediterranean herbs. A lovely aperitivo or great with fish.

With aromas of wild-berries, ref flowers and subtle pepper and earth, this light, vibrant red captures the essence of the mencía grape, native to north-west Spain. Its juicy, elegant profile makes it a perfect choice for fans of pinot noir or gamay-style wines. Perfect for pairing with Galician empanadas, little pasty-like pastries filled with meat, cheese or even tuna.