6 Spanish Reds Pennsylvania Wine Lists Should Pour in 2026

Pennsylvania sells more wine than any other control state in America — 8.2 million cases moved through Fine Wine & Good Spirits in the most recent year on record. Yet that number slipped 6.5% in volume. Read those two facts together and the story writes itself: Pennsylvanians aren't drinking less wine, they're drinking better wine. For a restaurant or retail buyer in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or the Brandywine Valley, that shift is the single biggest opportunity on your 2026 list.

Key Takeaways

• Pennsylvania is the #1 control state by wine sales — roughly 8.2 million cases a year through the PLCB.
• Volume slipped 6.5%, but value held: diners are trading up to fewer, better bottles.
• The state's wine industry drives close to $7.26 billion in total economic activity and ranks 4th in U.S. production.
• Spanish reds from Rioja and Navarra hit the by-the-glass sweet spot of quality, food-friendliness, and value.
• Everything flows through Fine Wine & Good Spirits, so the right importer relationship matters more here than in open states.

Pennsylvania Is the Country's Biggest Control-State Wine Market

Pennsylvania is one of 17 “control” states, where the government runs wholesale — and much of retail — wine distribution. Among them, it's the giant: the No. 1 control state by wine sales in the nation. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's Fine Wine & Good Spirits system reinvests hundreds of millions back into the state each year, including more than $444 million in liquor tax alone, and the broader wine industry generates close to $7.26 billion in total economic activity, according to industry economic-impact studies. Pennsylvania also ranks 4th in the country for wine production, up from 5th in 2018, with grape tonnage climbing year over year.

Translation for the trade: this is a serious, high-volume, quality-hungry market that runs on a single channel. Getting the right bottles in front of Pennsylvania buyers is less about chasing a dozen distributors and more about partnering with an importer who already knows how to move through the system.

What Pennsylvania Diners Are Drinking in 2026

The 6.5% volume dip isn't a warning sign — it's a road map. When total cases fall but spend holds steady, the average bottle is getting more expensive and more interesting. That's “premiumization” playing out on Pennsylvania wine lists in real time, and it rewards operators who curate rather than stack.

You can see it in Philadelphia's wine-bar boom — rooms like Vintage Wine Bar, Tria, Panorama, and Barcelona Wine Bar built their reputations on tight, personality-driven by-the-glass programs. It shows up statewide, too: Wine Spectator's 2026 Restaurant Awards recognized more than 4,000 restaurants worldwide for wine service, with Pennsylvania venues among the honorees. The winning formula is consistent — approachable pours with a real story behind them, priced so a table happily orders a second bottle.

That is exactly the lane Spanish wine lives in.

6 Spanish & International Reds for Pennsylvania Menus

These are food-first bottles built for the way Pennsylvania eats — cheesesteaks and scrapple, yes, but also the Italian rooms of South Philly, the steakhouses of Pittsburgh, and the farm-to-table tables of Lancaster and the Brandywine. Each one earns its place by the glass and by the bottle.

• Manzanos Gran Reserva Rioja (95 pts, Wine Enthusiast) — the trophy pour. Long barrel and bottle age give it leather, dried cherry, and sweet spice. Put it next to a dry-aged ribeye or a Sunday braise and it sings. A 95-point Rioja under a smart list price is the kind of value that makes a somm look brilliant.
• Manzanos Reserva Rioja (93 pts, Wine Enthusiast) — the everyday hero. Polished Tempranillo with enough structure for lamb and enough charm for a charcuterie board. This is your by-the-glass workhorse.
• Siglo Tempranillo (Rioja) — bright, juicy, and famously easy to love. It's the bottle that converts a white-wine table to red. Perfect with pizza, burgers, and tomato-forward pasta.
• Las Campanas Navarra — Navarra's answer to value red. Ripe, rounded, and gently oaked, it pairs with everything from paella to a Friday-night roast chicken.
• Duchessa Lia Nebbiolo d'Alba (Piedmont, Italy) — for the Italian rooms. Rose petal, red cherry, and firm tannin that begs for mushroom risotto, veal, or aged Parmigiano.
• Bruce Jack Reserve Pinotage (South Africa) — the wildcard that sells itself with a story. Smoky, dark-fruited, and made for the grill — brisket, barbecue, and anything off the smoker.

Quick pairing cheat sheet

• Dry-aged steak / braised short rib → Manzanos Gran Reserva Rioja
• Lamb, charcuterie, hard cheeses → Manzanos Reserva Rioja
• Pizza, burgers, red-sauce pasta → Siglo Tempranillo
• Paella, roast chicken, tapas → Las Campanas Navarra
• Mushroom risotto, veal, aged cheese → Duchessa Lia Nebbiolo
• Barbecue, brisket, anything smoked → Bruce Jack Pinotage

How Restaurants and Retailers Stock These Wines in a Control State

Because Pennsylvania is a control state, restaurants and retailers source through the PLCB's licensee channels rather than a free-for-all of open-market wholesalers. That structure can feel like a hurdle if you're new to it — and a genuine advantage once you have the right import partner feeding the system. Manzanos Wines USA works with distributors nationwide to make premium Spanish, Italian, Chilean, and South African wines available across all 50 states, control states included.

Whether you're a Rittenhouse wine bar rebuilding a by-the-glass list or a distributor looking to add a high-scoring Rioja to your Pennsylvania book, start with our wines and then reach out about placement. Buyers who want to carry the portfolio can learn about partnership through our distributor program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What wine is Pennsylvania known for?

Pennsylvania is best known as a huge consumer market — the No. 1 control state in the U.S. by wine sales — and increasingly as a producer, now ranking 4th nationally in wine production. Local wineries lean toward cool-climate whites and hybrid grapes, while restaurant lists skew toward classic European reds like Rioja.

What's the best wine to pair with a steak in Pennsylvania?

For a dry-aged steak or braise, an aged Spanish Tempranillo is hard to beat. A Rioja Gran Reserva — like the 95-point Manzanos Gran Reserva — brings savory, spiced depth and fine tannin that flatters charred, marbled beef without overpowering it.

How do restaurants buy wine in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania is a control state, so licensed restaurants and retailers purchase through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's Fine Wine & Good Spirits system rather than an open wholesale market. Working with an importer that already supplies that channel is the fastest way to get specific bottles onto your list.

Is Pennsylvania a good market for Spanish wine?

Yes. With premiumization pushing diners toward better bottles and value still driving decisions, Rioja and Navarra reds hit the ideal quality-to-price ratio for by-the-glass and mid-list placements — exactly what today's Pennsylvania lists are hunting for.

Pour Smarter in 2026

Pennsylvania's message to the wine trade is clear: the volume game is over, and the value game is on. Fewer bottles, better bottles, better stories. Spanish reds — anchored by 95- and 93-point Riojas — are built for exactly this moment.

Consumers: find our wines near you at manzanoswinesusa.com/find-our-wines. Trade buyers: bring the portfolio to your Pennsylvania customers — explore partnership at become a distributor.

Manzanos Wines USA is the premier importer of premium wines from Spain, Italy, Chile, South Africa, and France, serving all 50 US states through our nationwide distributor network. Learn more at manzanoswinesusa.com.