What to drink with tapas
One of the joys of tapas is having lots of different flavours on the table at once. But that can make choosing what to drink with it slightly more complicated.
Do you need a different wine for the prawns, another for the chorizo and something else for the patatas bravas?
Thankfully, no.
The trick is to choose drinks that are versatile enough to cope with several different dishes. And, while there’s no rule saying you have to drink Spanish wine with Spanish food, we currently have some particularly good Spanish options in the deli.
Here are our suggestions.
Llumí Blanc
Celler Alimara’s Llumí Blanc comes from Terra Alta in Catalonia and is made from 55% Garnatxa Blanca and 45% Macabeu.
It’s a fresh, smooth white with gentle lemon and grapefruit aromas, peach on the palate, refreshing acidity and a mineral character. The producer recommends it particularly with fish and squid.
It’s an excellent choice when you want something bright, clean and easy to enjoy across a range of small plates. It works beautifully as a relaxed, all-round white for a tapas table.
It’s also a good option if you want to open one white wine and keep it on the table throughout the meal.
Llumí Rosat
From the same Terra Alta producer, Llumí Rosat is made from Garnacha.
Rosé is sometimes overlooked when it comes to food matching, but it’s actually incredibly useful for tapas because it sits happily between white and red. This one is particularly suited to appetisers and lighter, more flavourful dishes.
It’s a very easy-going, sociable wine that works well when there are lots of different things on the table and you want something flexible rather than specific.
And, of course, there’s another advantage at this time of year: a chilled glass of rosé is rather lovely on a warm summer evening.
Roca Chancas Crianza
When you move on to something a little more structured, our Roca Chancas Crianza is a great option.
It’s the one we’d reach for when you want a red that has enough depth and character to stand up on a tapas table, without overpowering everything else.
You don’t necessarily want a huge, powerful red with a table full of small plates. There are too many competing flavours. Instead, a Crianza gives you balance, warmth and a bit of backbone while still being easy to drink alongside a variety of dishes.
And don’t serve your red wine too warm. Particularly in summer, slightly cooler than room temperature will make it much more refreshing.
Estrella Damm
Wine isn’t your only option.
Estrella Damm comes from Barcelona and a cold bottle of Spanish lager is one of the simplest things to put alongside a table of tapas.
Its crisp, refreshing style makes it an easy, reliable choice when you just want something cold and uncomplicated. It’s especially good when you’re serving a wide mix of dishes and don’t want to think too hard about wine at all.
So, which should you choose?
If you want something fresh, bright and easy to share, go for the Llumí Blanc.
If you’re after something a little more relaxed and flexible, try the Llumí Rosat.
If you’d like a bit more depth and structure, open the Roca Chancas Crianza.
And if you simply want something cold, crisp and effortless, there’s always Estrella Damm.
Or, you can do tapas the Spanish way and put a few different bottles on the table, add plenty of small dishes and let everyone find their own favourite combination.
You’ll find all four in the deli – and if you’re planning your own tapas evening, just ask us and we’ll happily help you choose.