Bars
Probably one of the best places to meet people in Spain is in bars.
Everyone visits them and they are always busy and sometimes bursting
with people. There are no age restriction imposed to enter these
premises. They are mainly to have drink or a small tapa.
Usually Spaniards can control their drink better than their northern
European fellows and drunk people are rarely seen here or on the
streets.
Beer
The Spanish beer is not too bad at all and well worth a try. To get
a beer you order “una cerveza” and you get a tiny glass of beer, if you
want to have something in the region of a half pint you order “una
cania” bigger sizes are not commonly used in Spain, but you can try to
order “una hara” or “canion”.
Cava
Cava is the latest name for Spanish bubbly water and was invented
after along lasting dispute with the French about the right name for
the bubbly water. The Spanish called it for a long time champan, but
the French argued that champagne can made only from grapes grown in the
Champagne region in France. Nevertheless, Cave is a quiet successful
bubbly water and 99% of the production comes from the area around Barcelona.
Sangria
Sangria is drink made of wine and fruits and usually is made from
simple wines. You will find sangria mainly in touristy places prepared
for tourists. Spanish prepare sangria for fiestas only and not every
day as seen in Mallorca.
Sherry (Fino)
The wines around Jerez are very high in alcohol and they produce the
famous sherry. If you would like to have one in a bar you have to order
a fino.
Wine
Spain is a country with great wine-making traditions: 22% of
Europe's wine growing area is located in Spain, however the production
is about half of what the French produce. The most famous wines come
from Rioja and from Ribera del Duero. The later ones are becoming more
and more popular and are slightly more expensive than Rioja wines.
White, rose and red wines are produced, but the red wines are certainly
the most important ones.
Spanish wines are produced with time and they have been in a oak barrel
for at least one year (Crianza) and then another two years in a bottle,
Reservas are first released after five years and Gran Reservas leave
the wine estate after 10 years. Spain has seen a tremendous rise in
wine prices over the last decade and Spanish wines are not any more
such a bargain as they were one decade before. However you will still
find 5, 10 and 20 year old wines for affordable prices.
To order a red wine in a bar you have to ask for a "un tinto
por favor", white wine "un blanco por favor" and last not least rose
"un rosado por favor".
Originally published on Wikitravel
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