Bobal

Bobal is a dry, medium to full-bodied red grape from southeastern Spain, particularly Utiel-Requena in Valencia. Expect blackberry, black cherry and plum with herbs, pepper and earthy spice. Fruity but structured with plenty of freshness, it’s brilliant with steak, lamb, burgers, sausages, BBQ food and rich tomato-based dishes.

Taste:

Dark fruit, fresh acidity and considerably more going on than its under-the-radar status suggests.

Bobal is typically dry and medium to full-bodied, with noticeable acidity and moderate to firm tannins. Expect blackberry, black cherry, plum and blueberry, often joined by dried herbs, black pepper, liquorice and earthy spice.

Older vines can produce particularly concentrated wines, while oak ageing may add flavours of vanilla, cedar, cocoa or toast.

Despite all that dark fruit and structure, Bobal tends to hold onto plenty of acidity, giving the wine a freshness that makes it particularly useful around food.

Quietly getting on with being delicious while the more famous Spanish grapes take all the selfies.

Food Pairings:

Bobal has the fruit, tannins and acidity to handle plenty of rich, savoury food.

Try it with steak, ribeye, roast beef, beef stew, burgers, lamb chops, roast lamb or grilled sausages.

It’s also a great BBQ wine, particularly with BBQ ribs, grilled steak, burgers, smoky sausages, lamb kebabs and barbecued pork.

Tomato-based dishes work brilliantly too. Try lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, beef ragù, meatballs in tomato sauce or rich tomato pasta.

For Spanish flavours, pair Bobal with chorizo, meatballs, grilled meats, roasted peppers or a charcuterie board with Manchego.

Meat-free options include grilled aubergine, mushroom stew, lentil casserole and smoky tomato and bean dishes.

For cheese, Manchego, mature Cheddar and aged Gouda are all excellent matches.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Bobal, Tempranillo is a natural next move for another classic Spanish red grape with plenty of fruit and food-pairing potential.

Monastrell brings darker fruit and more Mediterranean power, while Garnacha offers riper fruit, softer tannins and warming spice.

You might also enjoy Mencía if you want to explore another Spanish grape that's finally getting considerably more of the attention it deserves.

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More About Bobal:

Bobal is a native Spanish grape particularly associated with Utiel-Requena in the Valencia region, although you'll also find it in neighbouring areas of southeastern Spain.

The grape has thick skins, naturally high acidity and good levels of tannin, making it capable of producing deeply coloured, structured red wines as well as rosé.

For years, Bobal was largely treated as a workhorse grape, valued for its colour and productivity rather than celebrated in its own right. More recently, producers have focused on old vines, lower yields and more careful winemaking to show what the variety can really do.

Turns out Bobal wasn't boring.

It just needed better PR.