thomux@abnjh.UUCP (01/17/84)
Rather than highlight a specific wine, I would like to recommend Spanish wines in general, the red wines from Rioja in particular. A recent article in this newsgroup accurately pointed out the wealth of fine Italian wines available in this country at very reasonable prices. This is even more true of the wines of Spain, which haven't been "discovered" by enough Americans to drive the prices up, as is now beginning to happen with the Italian wines. (Why, then, am I writing this??) Young, simple Riojas can be found for as low as $3.00 a bottle, and are lively and fruity, but with a complexity the equal of wines costing 2 to 3 times as much. On the other end of the scale, a Rioja "reserva" from a good vintage can compete with the finest red wines in the world, parti- cularly the top French Bordeaux, California Cabernets, and the Brunellos and Chianti Classico Riservas from Italy. Price is chiefly determined by the name of the producer and the year of the vintage. Reservas from great years are extraordinarily long lived, so the old ones, if you can find them, can be quite expensive. Some of the producers to look for are: Marques di Riscal Marques di Caceras Bodegas Bilbainas Bodegas Olarra (Cerro Anon) Recent good vintages are 1970 and 1973. Prices for these range from about $6 to $11 depending upon the wine shop. Enjoy! Eric Thom ATT-IS Morristown, NJ