K&L Newsletter: Top Selections From Spain & Portugal

I’ve just returned from a buying trip through Spain and Portugal, and I’m more energized than ever about what these regions are delivering. Across the board—red, white, and sparkling—the quality is high, the styles are distinctive, and the pricing still works strongly in the customer’s favor. From Spain’s broad, well‑established appellations to Portugal’s incredible diversity of native varieties, the consistency and craftsmanship I tasted were impressive. The wines highlighted here are some of the bottles and categories I’m genuinely excited to share with you.

Spanish Standouts Under $20

Spain offers some of the best wine values in the world because it combines ideal growing conditions with deep-rooted tradition and relatively low production costs. Much of the country, especially regions like Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Aragón, has abundant sunshine, varied elevations, and old vines that produce wines of great concentration and complexity.

Spain’s Roots Run Deep with Garnacha

Producing everything from delicate, almost ethereal wines to intensely concentrated and juicy styles, Garnacha is a true chameleon. This, in my opinion, makes it a fascinating variety to explore. And with the world’s highest concentration of old vines, Spain is the country to turn to in order to understand this historic grape.

What I'm Excited About This Week: Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition!

I'm sure I've said this before, but I really enjoy a tasting that feels more like a multi-course dinner than just a straightforward tasting. Our Buyer Rachael Ryan really puts together a nice tasting that has this kind of complete feel. We started off last week’s Spanish and Portuguese tasting with the super classic and super delicious Mas Codina Cava Brut Reserva Penedès $13.99, one of my favorite bottles of bubbles when I don’t want to spend the money for Champagne. It’s still made in the traditional Méthode Champenoise and is a delicious clean and crisp style of sparkling wine. It's fantastic.

Exploring the Atlantic Coast of Iberia

When imagining Spain and Portugal, hot and arid landscapes often come to mind, with golden rolling hills dotted with gnarled old vines. The far northwestern corner of Spain, however, often referred to as “Green Spain,” defies this stereotype. Likewise, across the Miño River (or Minho River, depending on what language you’re speaking) in northern Portugal, the wine regions are defined by a cool, coastal climate with ample rainfall.

Spanish Wines from the Catalan Coast

Priorat, like so many classic regions in Spain and beyond, is having a renaissance. Though once known for rich, extracted wines with big points to match, many new winemakers on the scene are harvesting earlier and fermenting the wines more gently, avoiding any harsh over-extraction of tannins.

Spanish Sparkling Wine Picks by Our SF Bubbly Expert

There are several great things about the sparkling wines of Spain. My very favorite is the ratio of quality to value. You can get some excellent wines of superior quality for under $40. I had the opportunity, care of K&L Spanish & Portuguese Wine Buyer Kirk Walker, to taste quite a few of these on Valentine’s Day eve. I am familiar with some of them while others are brand new to me.

Portugal in the Spotlight and Rioja's New Wave

Today's newsletter gives Portugal a long-overdue stint in the spotlight. With some of the greatest stylistic and varietal diversity in the world, it's a wine explorer's paradise… For all our Spanish aficionados, I'm also providing a fresh look at some of the most intriguing producers redefining the landscape of the country's most important region, Rioja.

Holiday Buying Guide: Kirk's Spain and Chile Picks

Kirk Walker is our Spain, Portugal, and South America Buyer—if it has a Latin flair, Kirk likely brought it to our shelves. He loves research, and he’s a great person to talk to if you want to know how, for instance, the Andes’ rain shadow affects the vines in Chile. He’s also a good person to talk to in order to understand what’s going on with sparkling wine in Spain, the new wave of dry wines in Portugal, and for all your Rioja needs (I think it’s safe to say we all have Rioja needs). If you want to talk about the context of a wine region while drinking great wine, Kirk’s your man!

Old Favorites and New Discoveries from Spain and Portugal

K&L Spain/Portugal Buyer Kirk Walker checks in on some of our longtime favorite wine producers and introduces us to a new-to-our-shelves importer who’s shaking things up in the European import world.

The Place Is the Thing with Mary Taylor Wines

Mary Taylor is an innovative producer/importer who’s taking a fresh approach to the wine business. Not unlike the wines that Kermit Lynch imports, Mary Taylor’s wines are small-production and regional; the big difference, however, is that the brand on the label is the importer, not the producer. If you are seeking well made, regionally specific wines, fear not—these are the wines you’re looking for! Once you have tried a bottle with the name Mary Taylor on it, you’re sure to try another.

Fan-Favorite, Best-Value Rioja Señor de Lesmos Back in Stock

Señor de Lesmos is back! It has not been gone for long, but it sure feels that way. It is like waiting for your favorite fruit to come back in season. There is no such thing as Rioja season, but it always feels like an occasion when these wines hit the shelf again.

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