Luxury property for sale Spain

Spain: is a wonderful country with thousands of miles of coastline, plenty of sunshine and, most importantly, not too far from home. It is in many ways the ideal tourist destination for Brits looking for their “place in the sun”. Spain has a population in excess of 45 million people and today many people from northern Europe are choosing to retire to Spain to enjoy the more relaxed lifestyle and more agreeable climate. Spain is culturally diverse having been influenced by many different peoples throughout its history. Including the Celtiberian, Latin, Visigothic and Islamic cultures. The language is heavily influenced by Latin and shares much with the English language.

Language: English is widely spoken in all the tourist areas of Spain although Spanish "Castilian" is the official language. Most people do not realize just how many different forms of Spanish there are. "Castilian" is known to the Spanish as Español or Castellano and different versions of Spanish are spoken in the various regions of Spain. Aranese (aranés) is spoken in Catalonia. Basque in the Basque Country. Catalan in Catalonia. Valencian in the Balearic Islands and in Valencia and Galician in Galicia. Then of course there are different versions in South America where the Spanish speaking people have developed their own dialects.

Andalucia: Andalucía in the South comprises eight provinces: Huelva, Sevilla, Cádiz, Málaga,  Granada, Córdoba, Almería and Jaén. This is where the traditional gypsy dress and Flamenco dance originate. Andalucía was considered the jewel in crown for both the Roman and Muslim invaders.

Spanish Guitar: It is said that the guitar actually originates from Andalusia sometime before 1800 and is derived from the 5 stringed “Moorish Lute”. The best known Spanish flamenco guitarist is probably Paco de Lucia.

Bullfighting: Bullfighting is probably the best known Spanish sport and Spain is today synonymous with bullfighting. Bullfights are a common occurrence throughout Spain although in the North there is now a move towards banning the sport. The Toro Bravo is a specific breed of bull that is conserved only in Spain. The origins of bullfighting is said to be the “military” where soldiers were trained to fight against the bull in preparation for fighting foreign armies. The bullfight actually began on horseback with the bullfighter using his horsemanship skills to avoid the bull and make the kill. This then developed into a sport for the aristocracy known as “Suerte de Cañas”. One day a bullfighter in Rhonda, Andalucia, actually dismounted and fought the bull on foot and this gave rise to bullfighting as we know it today.

Spanish Wine: Spain has a long tradition of producing wine and is probably best know for the red wines of Rioja. However Rioja is just one small region of Spain and Spain is a big country with many lesser known regions producing some fine wines. Although if we are honest we have to recognise that there are many Spanish wine produces producing very cheap wine and the not so good “plonk”. The classification system in Spain is similar to France and wine is regulated under the Denominación de Origen (DO) system. Of course it is not possible to provide here a definitive guide to Spanish wines but we can mention a few.

The great wine regions of Northern Spain include Navarra, Rioja Alta, Alavesa , Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Cigales and Catalyud. White Rioja can actually be awful so for white wine best stick to Galacia and try a Rias Baixas. Probably one of the best is Lagar de Cervera. In Rueda try the excellent Marqués de Riscal.

Ribera del Duero, is around the Duero river and home to the most expensive wine in Spain produced by Vega Sicilia. Try the Vega Sicilia (Unico, as well as second bodegas Alión and Valbuena), Pesquera, Pago de Carraovejas.

Rioja is divided up into three regions, by far the most important of which is the Rioja Alta (which is also the name of one of the top estates). Slightly to the east there is Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja, the former producing some drinkable wines, the latter less so. Interestingly the character of the Rioja is directly related to the amount of aging in American oak.

Sherry: It is clear that Spain's finest table wines are to be found in the North of Spain, for the central region has little to offer, and in the south within sight of the continent of Africa there are none. But the region is not devoid of viticulture, and there are some very fine wines. This is the home of Sherry, produced from a small region around the town of Jerez. Sherry is made principally from the Palomino and Pedro Ximénez (PX) grapes, with a splash of Moscatel. The grapes are harvested and fermented in the normal way, but the wines are then left in contact with air for a prolonged period of time. Some will simply oxidise, whereas some develop a coating of flor, a thick layer of yeast, on the surface. This yeast imparts a distinctive flavour. The wines then pass through a “Solera System”; a tier of barrels containing wine of differing ages, oldest at the bottom and youngest at the top. The wine in the lowest barrel is drawn off and bottled and each barrel is topped up with wine from the one above. This maintains a steady stream of wine of similar character year after year and explains why sherry is almost never “Vintage” dated. Sherries come in a number of styles and can broadly be divided into dry, medium or sweet.

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