Miguel Torres is one of Spain’s biggest producers, and its bull wine – the Sangre de Toro with the little plastic bull – is available almost everywhere wine is sold. So what is the Vina Brava wine, and why does Torres do it?

It’s called a second label, which it sells in the U.S. as a private label to retailers who want something more than the bull wine and its various spinoffs. Around here, that’s Central Market and not much else. But the Vina Brava (about $10) has much to recommend it. It’s a red blend of grenache and carignan, which means it has more heft, but less fruitiness, than grenache-only wines. And, like Spanish red wine in general, it’s made to go with food. Streak frites comes to mind, but it would also work with meat loaf, hamburgers and grilled mushrooms.

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