FoodWorks-International® 

Spain produces nearly as much wine as Italy and France, but the Spanish drink the majority, therefore export quite a small quantity, so there is not much Spanish wine in this country.

This is a shame, because the wines of Spain can be exceptionally good, combining the finesse and character of France's finest with a sunny, Mediterranean quality as that of Italy

On the other hand, it's a delicious secret for wine tasters in the know, because the laws of supply and demand have kept most Spanish wines within the bargain range.

Spanish sparkling wines from Freixenet (particularly its Cordon Negro in a black bottle) and Codorniu (whose "English Cuvee Brut Clasico" would be a favorite Spanish sparkling wine) and are gaining deserved popularity while remaining in the modest $6 to $8 arena.

Sherry, a British mispronunciation of "Jeres," the town near Seville from which it's shipped, has been popular with Anglo-Saxons for centuries but still remains cheaper than currently-chic Port from Portugal.

Spanish red wines are considered the best. Good ones, drunk young, are as bright and refreshing as grape juice. Aged in wood and then in the bottle, they add a spicy tone that is hard to match at any price.

Rioja, in north-central Spain, above Madrid, became home to emigrant French wine makers more than 100 years ago; they applied their traditional skills to their new country's native grapes to create a new wine with a familiar accent.

Among Rioja labels usually available in this area are the products of Marques de Caceres, Marques de Riscal, Domecq and Olarra.

Olarra, a relatively new and very large bodega (winery), has made a considerable effort to capture the American market. Its wines, thought rarely outstanding, are consistently good and have been available in the United States of America at remarkably low prices.