It was not too long ago that Spain was on the fringe of the world wine industry - quaint, backward and picturesque but certainly not in the class of France or even Italy.
No mas.
Spain has come on faster and further than any other wine-producing country in terms of improved quality over the past 15 years.
Long known for producing good values in everyday sipping wines, Spain is no longer a cheap ticket. There are still values to be found, but there are also many Spanish wines collectors are clamoring to pay $100 a bottle for.
Once consumers had just Vega Sicilia - the quirky classic from the Ribera del Duero. Now there are dozens of Spanish wines that compete with the best in the world.
I recently had the privilege of dining with Barbara Fairchild, the editor of Bon Appetit magazine. She told me Spanish food is the hot thing today in the world of fine cuisine.
The reason, she said, is that Spanish chefs have piggybacked on the growing reputation of Spanish wine.
Besides a growing cadre of fine producers, Spain's wine revolution has been championed by a handful of exceptional importers. Among the names consumers should look for on the back label are Jorge Ordonez of Fine Estates from Spain, Eric Solomon of European Cellars, Michael Skurnik, the Henry Wine Group, Langdon Shiverick and Classical Wines from Spain.
The 2001 vintage is reputedly an exceptional one in most of Spain, but several of the 2000s encountered in recent tastings were outstanding.
Fine wines are coming not only from the well-known regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but also from places that were little-known outside Spain 20 years ago: Toro and Priorat among others. Reds, as always, are Spain's strong suit, but the nation is exporting a growing number of formidable whites.
Those, however, will have to be dealt with in the future. A recent tasting concentrated on red wines, looking for examples that won't cause inordinate damage to the pocketbook. These are some of the gems of the collection:
2000 Mauro, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon ($36). This impressive, complex, immense red wine can be enjoyed now or cellared for decades. It shows a classic black-currant flavor seasoned with wood smoke and anise. Its impressive length bodes well for future development.
