Barcelona is a lively seaside city in Spain, famous for its attractions, unique atmosphere and wine. Most tourists not only enjoy tasting drinks, but also take it home to treat their loved ones or refill their collections. Experienced travelers know exactly where to buy wine in Barcelona and how to choose the right wine. Beginners should familiarize themselves with the recommendations below in order to buy a quality drink at the best price.
Where to buy wine?
You can buy wine in Barcelona at any supermarket. Here you can find quality products at democratic prices. However, the assortment of such stores does not always satisfy the discerning customers.
You can also buy wine in shops specializing in the local production of these drinks. Here are the most popular of them.
Vila Viniteca
The products in this shop are supplied by the most popular wine supplier in Barcelona. Here you can buy drinks until late at night for every taste. The assortment includes white, pink and red wines with different sugar content and different strength of the wine.
Vino y Otros Remedios
This is a shop-bar, where you can not only buy a bottle of drink with you, but also enjoy a glass of wine in this institution. The owner of such shop declares that it offers quality products at democratic prices. The owner of the Umberto Bar&Shop offers not only tasty inexpensive wine, but also free snacks for the visitors who decided to taste a glass of wine on the spot.
The institution is also famous for the owner’s friendly attitude to all customers. Wine prices are in the range from 1 to 15 euros.
Paladar Vinoteca
The shop is located in the heart of the city. There is a large assortment of local beverages, as well as wines from other countries. Before buying the wine you can taste it.
La Carte des Vins
This shop specializes not only in selling wine, but also in accessories. Here you can find items for proper storage and drinking of beverages.
Maridame
This is a unique shop, where you can not only choose the wine, but also choose the right snacks, perfectly combined with its taste. Products and bottles are marked with red, pink and white labels. The best combination of beverage and meal can be determined by them. Employees of the shop can also help in choosing the best combination of drink and meal.
The superstitions that prevent you from buying a good beverage
Many tourists adhere to certain stereotypes that often prevent them from buying quality wine in Barcelona at affordable prices. These are the main misconceptions of travelers:
- a good wine can’t be cheap. Tourists prefer to buy drinks, the price of which exceeds 20 euros. They believe that this is the only guarantee of quality and good taste. This is the most common misconception. In Barcelona, you can buy wine at a price cheaper than water. Wine prices can even be 1 euro. The drink will be simple, not exquisite, but still it is real and it will be wine, not wine drink. High-quality wine, which will satisfy even the most refined taste, costs within 5-10 euros. There are also more expensive drinks here, but their quality may not differ from the products at more democratic prices;
- the good wine is only available in stores that specialize in selling it. In fact, even in a simple supermarket you can buy a quality drink from the manufacturer;
- the real Barcelona wines can’t be sweet and semi-sweet. This is another misconception. In the city you can find a drink for every taste. Sweet wines are marked “dulce” on the label and semi-sweet wines are marked “semidulce”.
When is it better to drink wine?
In Spain, there are certain rules for drinking alcoholic beverages. So, to drink wine in the daytime in hot weather is accepted only white and pink varieties. In the evening it is recommended to drink red wine. This is due to the fact that in the heat white and pink beverages are used to cool down. Red wine seems too heavy and its taste is not refreshing at all. Accordingly, if it is cold during the day, you can drink a red grape drink.
Beverage tasting
Wine tasting in Barcelona is carried out in almost any specialized shop. Everyone can taste a drink before buying it.
In the city you can order a wine tour, where participants will be explained the rules of tasting and offered to apply them in practice.
Recommendations on wine selection
When buying a beverage professionals advise to focus on the year of issue. This does not mean that you should buy only “old” bottles. In specialized shops there are stands where the owners place information on what year of production of the wine is best to buy in the current time.
It is also recommended to focus on the wine-producing areas where the wine has been produced. On the same tables in the points of sale there is such information about the region of wine production:
- E – excellent;
- MB – very good;
- B – good;
- R – usually.
In order to make the choice easier for consumers, the experts have made the top of the best beverages from grapes of different varieties.
White wine
Among the white grape varieties, the following wines are worth noting:
- Atalaya do mar Godello (D. O. Monterrei). The drink has a golden-yellow hue. The aroma is dominated by apple, honeysuckle and fruit notes. The wine has a pleasant, refreshing taste. The approximate price is 3 euros;
- Marqués de Vizhoja. The drink has a golden-yellow hue. The aroma is dominated by notes of fruit. The wine has a pronounced taste of melon. The approximate price is 4 euros;
- Marqués de Riscal Verdejo 2013 (D.O. Rueda). The drink has a pleasant aroma of herbs, fruit flavor and cashew flavor. The approximate cost is 6 euros.
Pink wine
Pink wines are the best:
- Torondos Rosado (D.O. Cigales). The drink contains 20% white grapes. The wine has a pleasant aroma, fresh taste with acidity and long aftertaste. You can buy a bottle for less than 3 euros;
- Tesoro de Bullas Rosado (D.O. Bullas). Such drink has a rich cherry or ruby hue, the aroma of fruit syrup and liquorice. The taste of wine is refreshing with delicate notes of fruit. The approximate price is 3 euros;
- Señorío de Sarría Rosado Garnacha (D.O. Navarra). Sweet garnacha grapes are used to make the drink. The wine has a mineral flavor with delicate fruit notes. The cost is in the range from 3 to 4 euros.
Red wine
Among the inexpensive red wines we can highlight:
- El Hayedo Tinto Joven. Tempranillo grapes are used for wine production. The taste of the drink is fresh, fruity and woody. The aroma is vanilla. The price is less than 2 euros per bottle;
- Palacio de León Tinto Barrica Cuvée. This wine is aged in American oak barrels for six months before being sold. The shade of the drink is ruby red. The price is less than 3 euros;
- Juan de Juanes Vendimia Oro Tinto Reserva (D.O. Valencia). The drink has a scarlet hue with a dark sapphire tint. The aroma is dominated by blackberry and Mediterranean spice. The price is within 5 euros.
Barcelona is a city that leaves an unforgettable impression and allows you to bring a few bottles of good and inexpensive wine. The main thing is to choose the right one.
