Spanish wines reflect the warmth and generosity you can find in this great nation. Tempranillo, a fleshy grape that works so well with American oak, brings soft, supple reds to the table, while the modern whites are vibrant, fresh and juicy, perfect food wines as they have the body to cope with the finest dining.

Extra maturity is another aspect of Spanish wines, with Reservas and Gran Reservas getting just a bit more ‘barrel’ than other countries, and with that extra age comes more layers, more complexity and ultimately a more mellow mouthful! Although struggling to get away from the marketing stranglehold of Rioja, less well-known regions still manage to produce some world-beating efforts.

Some great reds are being fashioned away from Rioja in the Catalan regions of Priorato and Montsant that use a big blend of grapes based on vineyards dating back to Roman times. Cellers Joan d’Anguera is a family bodega growing superb old Syrah, dark and brooding. Step up however to the Priorat wines from Alvaro Palacios at Finca Dofí, using fine oak and getting tremendous concentration, his are wines with terrific ageing potential. Somontano too is turning on the style, proving that cool areas such as the foothills of the Pyrenees can produce sublime flavours; the Viñas del Vero Cabernet Merlot is a gorgeous wine.

Rioja is still the place to beat in our opinion, although in Rioja itself there are two totally different factions. You now find young tasting, bright-fruited, bottle-aged ‘modern’ styles such as Roda tasting quite different to traditional, barrel-aged, pale and mature wines from the ‘grand houses’ like CVNE and La Rioja Alta.

You may feel that ‘Rioja’ isn’t as you remembered it! Well, the old style is there with the modern, but the spectrum has got wider as producers strive to make a point of difference. Our advice can only be to keep trying them all - buying to reflect all tastes, we are confident that you will like them for their contrasting characteristics.

Away from Rioja but drawing inspiration from there, have a look at the wines of central Spain, high on the Meseta. Two excellent Reservas come from the region of Almansa, on the road to Valencia, where Marius Reserva is made, and from Valdepeñas, home of Diego de Almagro Reserva, a mature wine at an old-fashioned price. Don’t miss the Orquestra either, a simple young Tempranillo wine with a splash of Cabernet that nails the every-day drinking slot for almost this entire list.

Traditionally, the Rosados (rosés) of Spain have been highly prized, being fresh and fruity, perfect for hot days or the evening copa as you meander around the Tapas bars in the early evening. Like Pleno, they should be light quaffers, and the Garnacha grape is the perfect subject making good characterful examples in Navarra, Rioja and beyond. For extra depth and colour, Vinas del Vero’s blend has more weight and substance but keeps a brilliant purity of flavour.

Spanish whites have significantly improved in quality with freshness and appeal every time. From the small selection here either plump for the clean, easy drinking Castillo de Almansa, surprisingly good for the money, or the almost extravagant, peachy flavoured Albariño of Lagar de Cervera, a never-fail dinner party choice for the adventurous. Both of these are unoaked, but if you want some wood, the clean lines of Monopole from CVNE is a winner - very integrated, long and good with smoked foods, fish or meats.

Robert Boutflower