417620 Tue Jul 03 15:36:05 -0700 2007 12 34 Wine 0 2717501 In response to a post on the SF board pretty much dismissing Spanish whites: At its best, albariño can be delicious, something like a good Sardinian vermentino. Look for Fillaboa. Ruedas are good values for everyday drinking, somewhat similar to New Zealand sauvignon blanc. I've recently liked the Lainos, Basa, and Naia. Several wineries make nice floral-fruity proprietary blends: Gramona Gessami (muscat & sauvignon blanc), Torres Vina Esmeralda (muscat & gewurtztraminer), Rocaberdi (macabeo & xarello), Floresta (macabeo & chardonnay). Txacoli, I've tried maybe ten and loved every one, though they've gotten annoyingly expensive. Tue Jul 03 15:36:05 -0700 2007 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 2717864 Can't imagine how someone would dismiss whites from Spain! They're perfect this time of the year as the days heat up and lighter food is in order. I'm especially fond of the verdejos from Rueda and prefer them over the overly grassy and grapefruit flavored sauvignon blancs from New Zealand. Anyone tried a garnacha blanca?? Tue Jul 03 17:41:27 -0700 2007 2717501 74451 vinosnob 2 2719155 The Lainos is super-grapefruity. Wed Jul 04 10:30:18 -0700 2007 2717864 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 2719953 Exceptions to everything I guess Wed Jul 04 17:53:30 -0700 2007 2719155 74451 vinosnob 4 2720961 Ruedas vary a lot since they only have to contain 50% verdejo, or 85% if they're labeled "Rueda verdejo." The rest can be sauvignon blanc, viura, and/or palomino. Presumably the grapefruity ones have some sauvignon blanc. Thu Jul 05 08:40:00 -0700 2007 2719953 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 2724202 Good point. But in my experience the (rueda) verdejo flavor profile shows noticeable minerality, balance and little-to-none green/grassyness as opposed to typical NZ sauvignon blanc. Bodegas Naia, which I really like, is a perfect example. Fri Jul 06 08:59:53 -0700 2007 2720961 74451 vinosnob 6 2724220 You can certainly find those among the highly diverse Rueda wines. Fri Jul 06 09:05:39 -0700 2007 2724202 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 2719142 Spanish whites can be hard to find if you aren't as fortunate as those who live near a Spanish Table store (our closest one is Berkeley, but there are others). They sold me a white wine called Vi d'agulla that has become my new favorite summer wine. Super dry (like grapefruit peel) with big muscat aroma (it says 'made from petit grain muscat'...doesn't sound Spanish, but...) that seems kind of weird at first, but the spritzy bubbles bring it all together. Odd for sure, but super refreshing in the hot summer weather. Wed Jul 04 10:24:55 -0700 2007 2717501 26422 Food_Dude 2 2721862 Avinyo's Vi D'Agulla is one of my absolute favorite summertime whites. Drank quite a bit of it yesterday as a matter of fact... also noticed that no one's mentioned Penedes! Can Feixes makes absolutely fantastic Penedes table wine--minerally, high acid, and totally delish. Thu Jul 05 13:02:55 -0700 2007 2719142 14280 HeelsSoxHound 3 2721899 Vi D'Agulla is so fabulous - it is rather hard to find, but It is sooooo delicious. It has a very light bubble to it and the aftertaste is fruity and delicious. My absolute favorite white. Thu Jul 05 13:13:53 -0700 2007 2721862 103418 cor 1 2719355 All the wines mentioned here are great wines and many great values, but it's funny no one mentioned Spain's most famous white, Rioja. A well aged wine from a great producer like Lopez de Heredia can provide a profound wine drinikng experience at a fraction of the price of a comparble white burgundy. Wed Jul 04 12:06:48 -0700 2007 2717501 17708 warrenr 2 2719363 I bought an aged Lopez de Heredia Gran Reserva white from Spanish Table and didn't find it very interesting, let alone worth the price. Maybe it was an off vintage. Wed Jul 04 12:11:25 -0700 2007 2719355 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 2719403 There can be bottle variation with wines that spend so long in the bottle, but they all seem to need a very long decanting (12 hours+, often) to open up. They only seem to make it in good vintages, or that's all I've seen at least. Wed Jul 04 12:26:19 -0700 2007 2719363 17708 warrenr