By Chantal Martineau
When most people think of Spanish wine, Rioja comes to mind. But don’t write off Ribera del Duero, which is producing earthy wines with great minerality at very reasonable prices. The main grape in Ribera de Duero is Tempranillo, just as in Rioja. Except that, in Ribera, they call it Tinto Fino or Tinta del Pais. The region’s higher altitude — vineyards, some of the highest in Europe, are planted between 2,500 and 2,800 feet above sea level — results in wines that are not quite as big as those from Rioja, but all the more interesting. Light to medium-bodied reds express earth, clay, and spice, but also bright red fruit. At the 16th annual Great Match, a grand-scale wine-and-tapas pairing held yesterday at the Metropolitan Pavilion, several wines from the region stood out.