Valencia

No other country has come as far in such a short time as Spain. Twenty years ago one would only see Rioja, Cava and Sherry on shelves in shops, now excellent wines are being produced and exported from many previously unheard of regions.

Over reliance on heavily oaked Tempranillo and oxidised whites are also in the past largely driven by the success of the Ribera del Duero where many Bordeaux winemakers decamped during the Phylloxera crisis, bringing with them rootstock from their home land, laying the groundwork for the amazingly concentrated wines from the Duero valley still being produced today. The whites of North Western Spain are personal favourites; crisp, fresh and aromatic and generally better value than wines from better established producing countries.

Personal Spanish favourites include the Riojas from Bogegas Riojanos, the Borsao Tres Picos and the whites from Bodegas Naia in Rueda.