Around Spain in eight wines...
It's unlikely to be a final for the ages. Indeed, the majority of the post-match discussion (even several days later) has been on the antics of the losers, both during and after the game.
La albiceleste, unfortunately, did not cover themselves in much glory, playing an unprepossessing, undignified and cynical game – before lashing out at the opposition after the final whistle.
And while it took Spain 106 minutes to finally find the back of the net, find it they did (twice, some would say) and held their form to be crowned worthy champions.
Congratulations to Spain and also to our regional editor Ines Salpico, who gets office bragging rights for the next four years.
As a reminder, all the way back in early June, we picked 16 teams representing major wine-producing countries and eight of us on the editorial team took two teams each to cover.
Over the course of the tournament, we recommended 77 wines, making wild pairings and links with (at times) the unlikeliest of match-ups.
How do you pair Swiss Syrah with Qatar? Or Uruguayan Dolcetto with Cape Verde? Through a mix of ingenuity, out-of-the-box thinking and good old-fashioned brute force, everyone found a way.
Spain's wine route to the World Cup finalFor eight games, Ines drew upon, not only her own intimate knowledge of the country's wines, but the sheer wealth and breadth of tremendous winemaking in Spain today.
This included classics such as CVNE's Imperial Gran Reserva and the new face of Rioja in wines such as Artuke's La Condenada.
Or there was Navarra's under-appreciated rosés, the almost unknown rosés from Txakoli and white wine from Jumilla.
The result is a small snapshot of contemporary Spain in eight wines.
With these wines as your base, throw in some wines from Catalonia, perhaps something from Andalusia and just one more from Galicia and you'd have a rather compelling mixed case to enjoy.
Game 1 (vs Cape Verde): Viña Zorzal, Garnacha Rosado, Navarra
Game 2 (vs Saudi Arabia): CVNE, Imperial Gran Reserva, Rioja
Game 3 (vs Uruguay): Telmo Rodriguez, Gaba Mencía, Valdeorras
Round of 32 (vs Austria): Stratum Wines, El Cerrico, Jumilla
Round of 16 (vs Portugal): Soca-Rel, Escursac, Mallorca
Quarter-final (vs Belgium): Rezabal, Txakoli Rosé, Basque Country
Semi-final (vs France): Francisco Barona, Finca las Dueñas Reserva, Ribera del Duero
Final (vs Argentina): Artuke, La Condenada, Rioja
Spain's World Cup winesWines here are listed by colour and by score
My wines

One of Spain's truly remarkable white wines, this comes from a single parcel of old-vine Airén grown in the north of Jumilla at nearly 1,000m....
2023
JumillaSpain
Bodega Cerrón
My wines

Enjoyable, fun rusticity in this rosado with great regional and varietal typicity. Perfumed rockrose and strawberry leaves hover over wild strawberry, juicy plum and red...
2025
Northern SpainSpain
Viña ZorzalNavarra
My wines

How knew Txakoli rosé could be so delicious and characterful. With a trademark hint of fizz, this is bright, refreshing and fluid, with sour cherry,...
2025
Northern SpainSpain
RezabalTxakolí
My wines

From 0.8ha of old vines at 520m-630m on sandy soils in Baños de Ebro, Rioja Alavesa; 80% Tempranillo combined with co-planted Garnacha Tinta, Graciano and...
2024
Northern SpainSpain
ArtukeRioja
My wines

Such an alluring nose of graphite, leather and liquorice, with fragrant mountain herbs in the background. The palate follows with juicy plum, red cherry and...
2021
Castilla y LéonSpain
Francisco BaronaRibera del Duero
My wines

94
Definition, tension and poise define the 2009 vintage of Imperial tasted 16 years after harvest. The tannins retained a finely-etched liveliness, with a refreshing acid backbone carrying the wine with ease as the tertiary elements begin to gain protagonism. Inviting, and stimulating, tension between elegance and muscle; crunchy fruit and creeping savouriness; briny depth and fragrant nuances.
Read more
2009
Northern SpainSpain
CVNERioja
My wines

Exact and poised expression of Mencía, with remarkable purity fruit, outlined by saline, mineral freshness. A core of fleshy sour cherry, red plum, beetroot and...
2021
GaliciaSpain
Compañía de Vinos Telmo RodríguezValdeorras
My wines

Charming and laidback, this offers a playful introduction to Escursac, the quasi-extinct red variety indigenous to Mallorca. The cherry, strawberry and raspberry fruit is crunchy...
2023
Balearic IslandsSpain
Soca-RelVino de España