SPANISH WINES

The wonderful climate in Spain is an essential element in the creation of some stunning spanish wines. Everyone has heard of Rioja the quintessential Spanish nectar and it well deserves the world wide accolades it has received over the years. If you are a wine enthusiast like me you will certainly savour the powerful aromas of this tasty red wine. However let`s be honest, if you were encouraging a new wine drinker to take an interest, you would not start with a Rioja.

ROSADO WINE - VINO ROSADO

There are much easier drinking wines to enjoy. For instance, there are a multitude of fantastic Rosado wines which are very drinkable but no less serious than the strong reds of Rioja. Try the Marques de Caceres for a fruity wine with syrup like consistency on the tongue, you won`t be disappointed. Another excellent Rosado is the Faustino IV which has a superb pedigree,like so many other spanish wines. For more information, visit our rosado wines page

CAVA

Also do not disregard the sparkling Cava wines of this country. Champagne from France is often brilliant but sometimes well over-priced. Instead try Freixenet from Catalonia, the sparkler in the black bottle. This wine is super tasty and an effervescence and character to rival many champagnes but for a quarter of the price. Another fabulous Cava is the Cordoniu, which is appropriately presented with champagne-like label. These wines would grace any special celebration, trust me. For more information, visit our cava page

RED WINE - VINO TINTO

If you really do enjoy the reds, try a Raimat, a wonderful example of the popular Tempranillo grape. It`s strongish but easy to drink especially with meat. You will not be disappointed. For more information, visit our tinto wines page

WHITE WINE - VINO BLANCO

For white wine lovers look no further than a nice Penedes. This large wine producing area offers a wide range of excellent and drinkable marques. Look out for the hock shaped bottles; I have never had anything less than an impressive experience from one of these. For more information, visit our vino blanco page

SHERRY - JEREZ

No article on wine in Spain would be complete without a mention of sherry. I believe there are quite a few wine lovers who don`t drink much of this fortified wine. It is actually a very different drink to normal wine. However you cannot be but impressed at the popularity and character of many of the sherries from the Jerez region. The soil and climate in the region provide the foundation for this celebrated liquour

Map - see the main Spanish wine regions

MIKE'S TOP WINES - UPDATED WEEKLY!

See our ever-growing list of affordable Top Spanish Wines, sampled and reviewed for you personally by Mike. For culinary lovers, also check out our Spanish Wine dishes page, which details the best dishes to be accompanied by our wine list. Also see our suggestions for top wines top food.