Spain is one of Europe's top three wine-producing countries, with a combination of a long tradition as well as a recently developed innovative streak. It wasn't always so; as recently as the early '70s over 90% of Spain's exported wines left the country by tanker. It's not hard to imagine what this liquid tasted like as road-tankers hauled it across Europe rather like petro-chemicals. Dreadful things happened to this wine at its destination; importers were inclined to dose it with sulphur dioxide in an attempt to slow down its proclivity to oxidise, a tendency that was caused in the most part by poor vinification techniques.

It was generally agreed that Spanish wines at the time were truly awful - white wines made from the less than noble Airen grape, which was widely grown around the country and reds that were dark, heavy and with a strongly alcoholic nose. The reds were often labelled 'Spanish Burgundy', while the whites came in a variety of guises, ranging from Chablis, Graves and even Sauternes. Happily this is all confined the bin of history. Hardly any bulk wine is produced today and nobody is sorry to see the back of those mass-produced migraine-inducing wines.

Today's Spanish exports are a safe bet for quality and value. The rise of the Rioja as a wine area to treat with respect was really the beginning of the change. In a way it's almost been too successful, since in many consumers' minds Spanish wine and Rioja are almost synonymous. Slowly other regions have been making their presence felt, like the excellent Catalan wines of Miguel Torres and the Spanish sparkling wines - Cava - from the same area. Great wines like Vega Sicilia from the Ribero del Douro are now well-respected and priced accordingly, and Sherry, not perhaps as fashionable as it once was, still retains its classic status.

Beyond these areas are the up and coming regions; the wines from La Mancha like Valdepenas, wines from Navarre and from lesser-known areas like Yecla and Jumilla in Murcia. These areas have a better climate for wine-making than much of South Africa or Australia where fresh, bright wines are made with modern vinification techniques, so as new methods like stainless steel fermentation vats are introduced, we can expect great things from these areas. While they remain relatively unknown and undiscovered there will still be bargains to be had, although I have my doubts as to how long this state of affairs will last. Make hay while the sun shines.

Wine of the Week

Senoria del Condestable Reserva 1996

This is a deep red, full-bodied wine from the Jumilla denomination. Already six-years old it has developed into a wine of some subtlety and finesse after an initial ageing of two years in oak. It's a wine than offers a great deal more than its price would suggest.

Available Dunnes Stores, RRP €7.29