Six Spanish Wines We'd Drink All Summer
- Iván González Gaínza
- 4 days ago
- 9 min read
Our guide to choosing authentic Spanish wines for barbecues, seafood, terrace dining and long Mediterranean evenings.
Introduction
What we enjoy most about summer is how it brings people together for outside dining.
Whether it's a relaxed barbecue with friends, fresh seafood overlooking the sea or a simple dinner on the terrace as the sun goes down, the food is often uncomplicated, and conversations last into the night.
Over the years, we've been lucky enough to visit some interesting wineries across Spain. We've tasted Albariño overlooking the Atlantic in Galicia, shared long lunches in Rioja and discovered unique wines here in Mallorca. Every visit reminds us that some of the best summer wines aren't necessarily the most expensive or the most famous - they're simply the ones that suit the moment.
So rather than putting together a list of the "best" bottles, we've chosen six Spanish wines we'd reach for during the summer months. Some are familiar names, while others may introduce you to regions, grape varieties or producers you haven't discovered before. What connects them all is authenticity. Every bottle comes from an independent winery with something unique to say. If you're looking for a little inspiration for your next barbecue, beach picnic or evening with friends, we hope you'll find it here.
Why Summer Changes the Way We Drink Wine
Summer has a way of changing our habits, and wine is no exception. As temperatures rise, many of us naturally begin reaching for bottles that feel lighter, brighter and more refreshing. Crisp acidity becomes more appealing than rich, powerful tannins, while aromatic whites, delicate rosés and elegant reds often replace the fuller-bodied wines we instinctively gravitate towards during the colder months.
That doesn't mean abandoning red wine altogether. Some of Spain's most exciting reds are surprisingly light, bursting with fresh fruit and vibrant acidity, making them perfect for serving slightly chilled on a warm evening. Equally, not every summer meal calls for a white wine. Exploring Spain's wine regions makes you appreciate how diverse they really are.
Rosé has become synonymous with summer, and understandably so, but it's only one part of the story. Spain also produces elegant Atlantic whites, vibrant rosés and lighter reds that seem almost made for warm evenings outdoors.
For us, choosing wine in summer isn't about following trends. It's about matching the wine to the occasion, the food and, most importantly, the people you're sharing it with.
Forget the Rules
For years, wine was surrounded by rules.
Drink white wine with fish. Choose a red wine to enjoy with meat. Rosé all day or on the beach, and sparkling wine for celebrations.
While there is often good reasoning behind these traditional ideas, they can also make choosing wine feel far more complicated than it needs to be. The emphasis shouldn’t be on getting every pairing "right" - but on enjoying good food in good company with wines that suit the moment.
Think about the meals we naturally enjoy in summer: grilled octopus, smoky vegetables cooked over charcoal, prawns fresh from the barbecue, spicy chorizo, Mediterranean tapas spread across the table or a picnic overlooking the sea. These dishes don't always fit neatly into the traditional rulebook, yet Spain offers countless wines that complement them perfectly. Rather than asking whether a wine is red or white, we prefer to ask a much simpler question...
Will this wine make this meal even more enjoyable?
More often than not, that's all that really matters.
So, What Are We Drinking This Summer?
With so many different styles of wine produced across Spain, there isn't a single "perfect" bottle for summer. The best choice will always depend on the occasion, the food and, of course, your personal taste.
That said, there are certain wines we find ourselves returning to year after year. They're the bottles we'd happily open for friends around the barbecue, pour alongside a platter of fresh seafood or enjoy on a quiet terrace as the sun begins to set.
A few are well-known expressions of classic Spanish grape varieties, while others come from lesser-known regions or showcase indigenous grapes that deserve far more attention. Together, they reflect exactly what we love about Spanish wine – honest expression, diversity and the stories behind every bottle.
Here are six wines we'd share around a table this summer:
Albamar Pepe Luis Albariño – Rías Baixas, Galicia
If there is one wine we'd happily open alongside grilled seafood on a warm summer evening, this would be it.
Produced by Xurxo Alba in Galicia's Rías Baixas, Pepe Luis is much more than an exceptional Albariño. It was named in memory of Xurxo's brother, Pepe Luis, who tragically died in a car accident at the age of just 21. One of Albamar's flagship wines, this limited-production Albariño is a heartfelt tribute that ensures his memory lives on with every vintage.
The wine itself is every bit as memorable as the history behind it. Sourced from a single vineyard in Noalla, just a few kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean, it reflects the maritime character that makes this corner of Galicia so special.
A year spent ageing on its lees, in a combination of large German oak foudre and French oak barrels, gives the wine wonderful texture and complexity while preserving the crispness that defines great Albariño.
Expect ripe white fruit, citrus and delicate floral aromas, layered with subtle smoky notes, gentle spice and a distinctive saline finish that seems to carry the Atlantic breeze straight into the glass. It's beautifully balanced, wonderfully expressive and exactly the sort of wine we'd choose for grilled fish, shellfish or sushi on a warm summer's evening.
Some wines are memorable because of their flavour. Others because of the story behind them. Pepe Luis is one of those rare bottles that leaves a lasting impression for both reasons.
Verónica Ortega Tormenta (Godello) – Bierzo
If you've spent this summer in Mallorca, you'll probably know the feeling. Days of intense heat and heavy humidity, with everyone glancing at the sky, hoping a storm might finally roll in to clear the air.
That's why Tormenta made our summer selection.
Meaning storm in Spanish, it's a name that feels particularly fitting this year. Produced by Verónica Ortega in Bierzo, this remarkable Godello captures the freshness we're all craving when the temperatures refuse to drop.
Tormenta comes from a tiny 0.8-hectare vineyard in San Juan de la Mata, home to one of the oldest clones of Godello. The small berries, naturally low-yielding vines and calcareous clay soils produce a wine with incredible precision and minerality. Fermented spontaneously and aged for 13 months in a combination of amphorae and French oak, it's a finely crafted expression of the variety that balances texture with incredible freshness.
Delicate aromas of green tea, chamomile, lime blossom and citrus lead to a palate that's vibrant, mineral and gently saline, leaving a clean, refreshing finish that invites another sip.
Tormenta is the wine we'd open on those sweltering summer evenings when the air feels heavy, the first distant rumble of thunder is finally on the horizon, and everyone is hoping the storm will bring a welcome sense of relief.
7103 Petit Celler Rosat – Mallorca
Certain wines become favourites because of how they taste. Others because of the memories they carry.
7103 Petit Celler was one of the very first wineries we began working with when Wine Industry Mallorca was established, and we've followed their journey ever since. They're the sort of producer we love introducing people to: a winery making thoughtful, small-scale wines that express the character of Mallorca without ever trying to be anything they're not.
Made entirely from Mantonegro, one of Mallorca's most important indigenous grape varieties, this rosé is a wonderful expression of the island. The grapes are harvested by hand from the winery's own vineyards before being carefully selected, bunch by bunch, ensuring that only the very best fruit makes its way into the wine.
Fresh, vibrant and balanced, it offers delicate aromas of strawberries and red summer fruits, with a freshness that make it incredibly easy to enjoy. It's also wonderfully versatile.
We'd happily pour a glass alongside a plate of tumbet, a selection of Mediterranean tapas, grilled vegetables or simply while watching the sun disappear over the Tramuntana mountains. To us, this isn't just a great summer rosé. It's a wine that captures the relaxed pace, local character and unmistakable flavours of Mallorca in every glass.
Can Gelat Callet – Mallorca
Who says red wine is only for winter?
It's one of the biggest misconceptions we come across, particularly during the summer months. While some reds can feel too rich or powerful in the heat, others are made for exactly this time of year. Serve them just slightly chilled, and they can be every bit as refreshing and food-friendly as a white or rosé.
That's exactly where Can Gelat Callet comes into its own.
Situated at the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains, Can Gelat's vineyards benefit from a unique microclimate, where cooling mountain breezes and limestone-clay soils help produce wines with freshness, balance and a real sense of place. Their approach is rooted in ecological viticulture, allowing the vineyards and the local landscape to work in harmony.
Made predominantly from Callet, with a small proportion of Mantonegro, it shows exactly why these indigenous Mallorcan varieties deserve more attention. Naturally moderate in alcohol and gentle in tannin, it has a lightness and elegance that often surprise people expecting a typical Mediterranean red.
Expect vibrant cherry fruit, subtle hints of thyme, bay leaf and tobacco, finishing with a delicate saline note that seems to reflect the island itself. It's the bottle we'd reach for alongside grilled chicken, charcuterie, wood-fired pizza or a relaxed evening barbecue, served just slightly cooler than room temperature.
Every summer should include at least one red wine that changes your expectations. For us, this is that wine.
Titerok-Akaet Valle de Malpaso Blanco – Lanzarote
From the very first sip certain wines can immediately transport you to another place. Valle de Malpaso is one of them.
Whenever we visit Lanzarote, we're reminded just how extraordinary the island is. Black volcanic landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see, vineyards appear where you least expect them and every bottle reflects generations of growers who have learned to work with the island's extraordinary volcanic landscape.
The winery itself takes its name from Titerok-Akaet, the name given to Lanzarote by the island's original inhabitants, meaning "the one that burns" or "red mountain" - a fitting tribute to the dramatic terrain that continues to shape life and winemaking here today.
Valle de Malpaso is made from Malvasía Volcánica, Listán Blanco and Diego, three grape varieties that thrive in these unique conditions. The grapes come from an organic vineyard in the cooler northern part of the island, where eighty-year-old vines grow high above sea level in the Valle de Malpaso, benefiting from the fresh Atlantic influence of the nearby Famara cliffs.
The result is a wine that's every bit as distinctive as the landscape it comes from. Floral aromas mingle with hints of fennel, aniseed and ripe stone fruit, while the palate is bright, vibrant and carried by a refreshing saline edge that seems to capture the Atlantic air in every glass.
If you're looking for a wine that surprises people - not because it's unusual for the sake of it, but because it expresses its origin so honestly - this would be one of our first recommendations.
Arizcuren Sologarnacha – Rioja
When most people think of Rioja, they immediately think of Tempranillo.
But spend time with the region's smaller producers, and you quickly realise Rioja has many stories to tell.
Long before modern Rioja became famous for oak-aged blends, Garnacha played an important role in the region's vineyards. Today, a new generation of winemakers is rediscovering its potential, and few are doing it with greater sensitivity than Arizcuren.
Their Sologarnacha is sourced from small, high-altitude vineyards on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Yerga, where Garnacha develops remarkable freshness alongside its naturally vibrant fruit. Produced with a minimal intervention philosophy and aged gently in used French oak, the focus is firmly on expressing the vineyard rather than the winemaker.
The result is a wonderfully elegant red that's full of bright red berries, Mediterranean herbs and gentle spice, underpinned by a mineral character that gives the wine real precision and energy. Served slightly chilled, it's the sort of bottle we'd happily enjoy with grilled vegetables, herb-marinated lamb, charcuterie or simply as the evening begins to cool. One of the things we enjoy most about visiting wineries across Spain is discovering producers who challenge people's expectations. Arizcuren does exactly that.
Sologarnacha is a reminder that Rioja is about far more than Tempranillo, and that some of the region's most exciting wines are now coming from small producers who are quietly reconnecting with its historic vineyards and indigenous traditions.
Create Your Own Spanish Summer Selection
Over the years we've learnt that the most memorable wine collections aren't built around price or famous names. They're built around curiosity.
Imagine opening a bottle from a different corner of Spain each weekend this summer, and discovering somewhere new without leaving your table.
One evening you're sitting on the Atlantic coast of Galicia with an elegant Albariño. The following week you're in Bierzo, enjoying a mineral Godello. A few days later you're back home in Mallorca with a chilled rosé before travelling to Lanzarote's volcanic vineyards and finally finishing among Rioja's mountain Garnacha vines.
That's the beauty of Spanish wine.
Every bottle tells the story of a different landscape, a different climate and the people who bring them to life.
These six wines come from very different corners of Spain, yet they all share something in common. They're made by small family wineries and passionate growers, who are respectful of their local traditions and committed to making wines with real character.
Final Thoughts
We love working with independent wineries across Spain because every wine has its own personality, landscape and character. Introducing people to those wineries has always been just as rewarding as sharing the wines themselves.
If this article encourages you to step outside your usual choices, discover a new grape variety or support a small producer you've never come across before, then we've achieved exactly what we hoped.
Because that's what first drew us to Spanish wine - and what continues to inspire us today. Not simply the bottles themselves, but the people, the places and the passion behind them.
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