Gift Guide 2023: The best Spanish red wines to savor

What do you picture when you hear the word "Spain"? For many, the answer is sunshine, architecture, tapas and, of course, wine. Ah, that wine! And although Spain produces excellent dry whites and fantastic champagnes, the real hero here is the quality of the red wines.

Spanish cuisine:

Iberian ham, red wine, cheese, olives and olive oil. From oaky Riojas to full-bodied Ribera del Duero, fresh Biers and, perhaps best of all, smooth as silk Priorat, Spain's many wine regions offer something for every red wine lover.

Here are the best red wine gifts from Spain to welcome this holiday season:

• Clos de l'\''Obac.As one of'''The original wineries involved in bringing about the resurrection of Priorat wines in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Clos de l'\'Obac is the epitome of Priorat itself. Power, structure and complexity define this magnificent red wine made from grapes from seven vineyards around the town of Gratallops planted with Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Carignan varieties. The more than 50-year-old Carignan and Grenache vines give this wine its unique Priorat characteristics, while the other varieties guarantee its balance of power and finesse. Also not to be missed is the sweet Dolç de l'\''Obac, a delight for the most ardent opponents of sweet wines.
• Las Lamas Another founder of the Priorat Renaissance, and arguably one of the''The refreshing lightness of the Pancrudo varietal from Gómez Cruzado. The winery was founded in 1886 in the railroad district of Haro, and today's Gómez Cruzado is led by a group of young winemakers dedicated to promoting a lighter, fresher and more modern approach to wine production in Rioja. Unlike its Tempranillo-based neighbors, Pancrudo is made from 100% Garnacha (Grenache) and fermented first in stainless steel barrels, then in French oak barrels and finally in concrete eggs. The result is a wine of bright cherry color with aromas of red berries.
• La Florens.Look at the wine regions of Monsant and Priorat on a map, and it seems like one hugs the other. As a result, Monsant is sometimes referred to as the less glamorous 'whites'''compared to the rich "yolk" of Priorat. And while Monsantes red wines tend to be lighter, fresher and easier to drink than their full-bodied cousins, the magnificent La Florens is no pushover. Winemaker Josep Grau specializes in organic wines of minimal intervention, such as the magnificent La Florens, which he himself describes as "embodying the personality of a kind, calm, happy, modern man, full of humanity.... who will ask you to close your eyes, stroke you and take you away in a moment of intimacy. "
• Corimbo I.Ribera del Duero, located along the banks of the Duero River, is one of Spain's most prestigious wine regions. Its red wines are as good, prestigious and full-bodied as those from Rioja and''Priorata.