THE polarities of spring - lingering winter cold and the sudden outbreak of summer holiday discussions - lead me to Spain. Savoury, warming Spanish reds are perfect with the big, thermal casseroles and roasts that schizophrenic March weather still demands. Mulling this over, I was prodded into deeper investigation by the arrival of a holiday brochure called The Hidden Spain. The other Spain - the land of prefabricated beach holidays - is partly to blame for giving Spanish wine a cheap plonk image which lingers as painfully as a cheap plonk hangover. Isn't it time we ventured further into the interior of one of the great wine cultures? As with tourism, there are interesting stirrings in once sleepy outposts.
Spain is a viticultural miracle waiting to happen, and has been in this pregnant state for longer than seems decent," Jane is Robinson writes in her latest book. Although Spain has more land under vines than any other country in the world, production has lagged far behind France and Italy. The industry has remained fragmented across a patchwork of stubbornly independent regions, and quality hasn't always been pursued by the large and dominant co-ops.
But what makes Spanish wine so-interesting now is the mounting evidence that the cumbersome confinement is just about over. New wine-making techniques are being embraced to produce much better wines - fermented in stainless steel, then exposed less ferociously to oak than in the past. Alongside the familiar names newer, quality conscious producers are emerging in a dozen red wine regions whose differing climates and traditions underpin a wide diversity of styles.
The area we know best is. of course, Rioja in the north-east. Her classic reds, made from Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes and aged in pungent American-oak barrels, have a typical tinned-strawberry sweetness overlaid with vanilla, but kept on the right side of sickliness by firm tannins. Riojas rather slipped from grace in the 1980s when prices went up and standards down. Still, from expert hands they are an absolute delight, and we're lucky to have plenty of good examples on the Irish market - not just the names in the list below but other frontrunners such as Muga, Marques de Murrieta, Marques de Riscal (on its way back up after a slide) and CVNE.
But in the wine world, Ribera del Duero has overtaken Rioja to become Spain's most revered region, producing deeper, more powerful reds on the banks of the river which, further west, becomes the Douro - the main artery of Portugal's port trade. Slowly but surely, good wines from here are making their way into Ireland. Luckily they don't all cost as much as the most famous one, Prince Charles's beloved Vega Sicilia, which could set you back around £80 a bottle.
Other areas of major excitement include Navarra, north-east of Rioja, where new investment is producing impressive, inexpensive wines, and Penedes in Catalonia where awesomely dynamic Miguel Torres is the champion of innovation allied to quality. He was one of the first Spanish winemakers to experiment with Cabernet Sauvignon and other French grape varieties - an approach others have since adopted.
This is not to downplay the appeal of Spain's glorious multiplicity of native grapes - especially at a time when wine drinkers are beginning to crave flavours the New World hasn't dreamt about. With serious work in progress on the quality/price front and grapes such as Tempranillo, Garnacha and Monastrell delivering uniqueness, it's my bet Spain is poised on the brink of a new golden aged still tottering a little unsteadily, perhaps, but that's wine for you. Scrutinise the shelves and you may see. from the mix of fast-moving old favourites and new discoveries, that your local wine merchant thinks so too.
Ten To Try
FIVE RIOJAS
Vina Ljalba Rioja Murice Crianza 1992 (Higgins, Clonskeagh; Cooney's, Harold's Cross; Fine Wines, Limerick; Vineyard, Galway and other independent off-licences, about £7). New to the Irish market, a very approachable Rioja, fragrant with berry fruits, cedarwood and vanilla. Very good value.
Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 1989 (widely available, £7-£7.50). Familiar from every Spanish holiday and every second Irish wine source - but be sure to spend the extra pound or two on the reserva. Classic Rioja strawberry and vanilla characteristics, with the toastiness of oak. Pleasant easy drinking.
Faustino V Rioja Reserva 1991 (widely available, £7.50-£8.50). One of the bestselling Riojas in Ireland and it's easy to see why. This is a flavoursome big wine with upfront aromas of baked fruit and caramel. A flamboyant attention-seeker not for the fainthearted.
La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva 1989 (Mill Wine Cellar, Maynooth, £9.99 and some other outlets). The sublime embodiment of style and subtlety. From a top producer, a magnificently smooth Rioja with vanilla sweetness leading to a long, meaty finish.
Bodegas Olarra Anares Rioja Gran Reserva 1987 (Redmonds, McCabes Galvins of Cork £11.50-£12). Another classy one, to be drunk right now while it still has its delicious strawberry and vanilla toffee sweetness. A very long finish and a lot of finesse.
FIVE WITH OTHER FLAVOURS TO EXPLORE
Bodegas Penalba Lopez Torremilanos Crianza 1991 (Direct Wine Shipments and Wineflair shops, £6.99 in the UK). No, not Torremolinos - but that should make it easy to remember this wine from distinctly upmarket Ribera del Duero region. It is an interesting example of Spain's new approach: Bordeaux oak is used to produce a very pleasant, easy-drinking wine with plummy fruits and appealing smokiness. Kevin McAlindon of DWS, who tracked it down, has just been appointed to the elite Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino for his special interest in Spanish wine.
Guelbenzu 1993 (Searsons, The Vintry and some other outlets, about £7.50). A superb new-style pacesetter from Navarra - Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot combined with Tempranillo to produce a Spanish wine that tastes for all the word like a good claret. Definitely worth trying.
Torres Gran Sangre de Toro Reserva 1991 (widely available, £7.99-8.50). Closer to Spanish tradition, this blend of native Garnacha and Carinena grapes from the Penedes region - and yet quite unlike anything else. Very dark, very rich and very delicious.
Ochoa Reserva 1990 (Superquinn, some Super Valus and many other outlets, £8.25-£9). Another impressive Navarra wine, made from Tempranillo, the main Rioja grape. As with the Campo Viejo above, it's worth paying the extra two quid for this reserva. Lovely baked fruit and liquorice aromas are balanced on the palate by chewy tannins.
Pesquera Tinto 1992 (Searsons. McCabes, Karwig's Wine Warehouse, Pettit's supermarkets and some other outlets, £12.75 approx). Searsons can only barely keeping the cork on their enthusiasm. They re right. This terrific big wine, with enticing herbal aromas and amazingly concentrated flavours, makes you realise what all fuss about the Ribero del Duero region rests upon. Rich and velvety already and it will get even better. A Lenten treat.