Spain foments a red conquest

[Gifted Gourmet]

Spanish wines

Spain has come on faster and further than any other wine-producing country in terms of improved quality over the past 15 years. Long known for producing good values in everyday sipping wines, Spain is no longer a cheap ticket. There are still values to be found, but there are also many Spanish wines that have collectors clamoring to pay $100 a bottle.

Fine wines are coming not only from the well- known regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but also from places little-known outside Spain 20 years ago: Toro and Priorat, among others. Reds, as always, are Spain's strong suit, but the nation is exporting a growing number of formidable whites.

A recent tasting concentrated on red wines, looking for examples that won't cause inordinate damage to the pocketbook. These are some of the gems of the collection

What about it, wine enthusiasts? Have you noticed this particular phenomenon?

[Carolyn Tillie]

I'm just beginning to learn about Spanish wines.

A little over eight years ago, Jeff & Jim Bundschu went to Spain. Becoming very enamored with the Tempranillo grape, they arranged to have some cuttings brought back. At that time (I believe), there was only one or two California wineries growing the Tempranillo grape. Gundlach-Bundschu is now offering its third or fourth bottling of both a straight, 100% Tempranillo and a Tempranillo Rosé. Now there are more than ten wineries in California utilizing the Tempranillo grape and the Spanish are having a bit more influence in the California industry.

[LOS]

Spanish wines

Spain has come on faster and further than any other wine-producing country in terms of improved quality over the past 15 years. Long known for producing good values in everyday sipping wines, Spain is no longer a cheap ticket. There are still values to be found, but there are also many Spanish wines that have collectors clamoring to pay $100 a bottle.

Fine wines are coming not only from the well- known regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but also from places little-known outside Spain 20 years ago: Toro and Priorat, among others. Reds, as always, are Spain's strong suit, but the nation is exporting a growing number of formidable whites.

A recent tasting concentrated on red wines, looking for examples that won't cause inordinate damage to the pocketbook. These are some of the gems of the collection

What about it, wine enthusiasts? Have you noticed this particular phenomenon?

I can't really say, as I wasn't following Spanish wine 15 years ago. What I do know is that the pre-1990 spanish wines I have purchased have all been of top quality, and that many of the newer wines are not necesarily of better quality, just more international in style. OTOH, Andrew Barr indicates that fraudulent bottlings were widespread in the old days.

[Brad Ballinger]

I don't know if I'd call it a phenomenon, but there is certainly an increased interest in Spanish wines and certainly more of them available than there were 15 years ago. The article mentions importers, but there is also foreign money (American and European) helping more bodegas spring up.

Where Spanish wines of old get a knock is that many tended to be quite rustic in style and the whole crianza, reserva, gran reserva bottle designation had mainly to do with the amount of time the wines spent in wood. And they tasted like it.

Lee is right that more of the wines coming out of Spain nowadays are more "international" in style -- low acid, forward fruit. For some, one might taste the wine and think Spain. But for many, they could be made anywhere in the world. That doesn't mean they are not enjoyable wines, just that they're more international and less "Spanish." And for this style, they are competing very well.

[ctgm]

Where Spanish wines of old get a knock is that many tended to be quite rustic in style and the whole crianza, reserva, gran reserva bottle designation had mainly to do with the amount of time the wines spent in wood. And they tasted like it.

Can't really get my head around red wines that have been in cask for 5 years!

By the by, I had a white from Priorat for the first time the other day and found that it was superb, but expensive.