Madrid, Vinos de

The Spanish capital Madrid is much less well known as the name of a wine denomination. The do Vinos de Madrid forms a semicircle around the southern suburbs. Of the three officially recognized subzones, the most important is round the town of Arganda del Rey to the east of Madrid. White wines are made from the Malvar and airén. Reds are produced from Tinto Fino (tempranillo), also known (in east central Spain, but not in Madrid) as Tinta Madrid, Garnacha (grenache) and, increasingly, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. A handful of producers have shown real potential, particularly those in the western part of the region (see gredos).