Top 10 Spanish wine trends

Sangria 

A summer staple in Spain, sangria took off like a rocket in the UK this year as Britain sizzled in 30-degree heat. One of the biggest sangria success stories this summer has been the Peñasol brand, owned by Félix Solís, which comes housed in canary yellow one-litre Tetra Paks and is sold at Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Made from a blend of Tempranillo from La Mancha, natural fruit extracts and cinnamon flavours, at 5% ABV it’s dangerously drinkable when served chilled with slices of orange, lemon and apple for added zing.

“Peñasol has been our big hit of the summer in the UK – we’ve shifted more than 500,000 litres of the stuff, and expect it to sell well at Christmas too,” says Richard Cochrane, managing director of Félix Solís UK. Another hit in Britain is sparkling-sangria brand Lolea, which is instantly recognisable by its red and white polka dot bottles with swing-top crown cork closures.

Taking the sangria category upmarket with its chic branding, the 7% ABV sparkling white is made from a blend of Macabeo, Airén and Chardonnay from Aragon, along with sugar, orange and lemon juice, and vanilla flavouring. The sparkling red meanwhile, is made from a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet, orange and lemon juice, and a touch of cinnamon. The brand recently added an on-trend rosé expression to the Lolea line-up, made with a hint of hibiscus and ginger.