Speak the Culture: Spain: Be Fluent in Spanish Life and Culture

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1. Identity: the
   building blocks of
   2. Literature
   and philosophy
   3. Art and
   architecture
   4. Performing
   arts
   5. Cinema
   and fashion
   6. Media and
   communications
   7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
   the details of

Airén

Spain’s most planted grape, swathing La Mancha,

makes fruity if unexceptional wines.

Albariño

Key to Galicia’s Rías Baixas and used increasingly

elsewhere in fresh, aromatic whites.

Moscatel

Known as Muscat in France and used widely here in

sweet, fragrant wines.

Palomino

The prime grape of sherry is less impressive in

straightforward wine.

Parellada

Catalonia’s best grape is a delicate contributor to Cava.

Pedro Ximénez

A giant of Andalusia used in fortified wine,ranciosand

dessert wines.

Verdejo

Ancient but much improved with new technology to

make delicate, excellent Rueda wines.

Macabeo

Also called Viura. Widespread, originally from Aragón,

with a mixed reputation; requiresTLC for the right spicy

effect. Makes 90 per cent of all white Rioja.

Xarel-lo

The core vine of Cava has benefited greatly from new

procedures reducing oxidisation.

WHITES

A grape by any
other name
Many of Spain’s vines
have different names
depending on which part
of the country you’re in.
Tempranillo, for instance,
is also known variously
as Cencibel (in La
Mancha), Ull de Llebre
(Catalonia) and Tinta del
País (Castile y León). Of
course, strictly speaking,
they’re not identical: the
effects ofterroirwill give
each its own character.

Drink problem
In 2002 Jose Maria
Aznar’s right-wing
government cancelled a
state banquet in honour
of Iran’s President
Mohammed Khatami
when the Iranians said
they couldn’t sit at a
table with wine on it.
“It was to avoid a stand-
off between the protocol
offices of the two
countries and so that
the Spanish custom of
drinking wine with meals
was not dishonoured,”
explained the Spanish
foreign ministry.