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The history of Spain's wine growing has been as
convoluted as its relationship with Britain. Down the
years, a series of natural and man-made upheavals
have pushed the vinous focus from Spain to Portugal
and back again and not just from the British point of
view.
In the late 19th century, the American aphid Phylloxera arrived in Spain,
and just as in much of the rest of Europe, it set
about chewing through vine roots as if it hadn't had
a square meal for weeks. Entire wine producing
regions were lost forever and those families that had
once worked their vineyards left the land in droves.
And yet Phylloxera
arrived late in Spain, some time after it had begun
devastating the vineyards of major French regions
such as Bordeaux. In addition, its spread was slower,
as Spanish wine growing regions are not and never
have been contiguous.
Thus the distraught Bordelais headed for the
closest vineyards known to be still louse-free and
found Rioja and Navarra making wine as it had
for centuries i.e. somewhat unscientifically. And, of
course, the first thing they did on arrival was to
share their wine-making nous. Suddenly, from producing
wine fit only for export to South America and the
most local of local markets, Rioja found itself in demand on
some of the loftiest tables of Europe.
Shunting ourselves around the space-time continuum,
we arrive in 14th century Portugal, from where wines
are already being exported to England. Over the
ensuing centuries Portugal continues to be a source
of wine for the British, particularly during times
when we are unable to source the more fashionable
French examples. These breakdowns in supply are
usually the result of frequent attempts to massacre
each other on the battlefields of Europe, a problem
exacerbated later by that micro-emperor, Buonaparte.
During the Franco-British war of 17th century the
wine lovers of Britain turned to Portugal with gusto;
a gusto that translated into trading benefits set
down in the Treaty of Methuen in 1703. Port evolved
at about this time, the English adding grape spirit
to partially fermented grape must in order to
stabilise the wine for shipment (a similar technique
was being used in Madeira for its famous fortified
wine and in Sicily for marsala). NB. Watch out for an
offer of the 2003 Vintage Port which will appear
later in the year.
To summarise then: Spain's wine industry has a great
deal for which to thank the French; the world's
fortified wine fans owe a huge debt of gratitude to
the English.
And lastly, for the first time in centuries there is
a lull in the drinking of Portuguese wine in the UK;
why? We think they're making some of the more
exciting wines of the world; wines that marry sackfuls of terroir with a New World
ripeness. Iberia is being held up with a quality gun
and is reaching for the sky. Sample any of the wines
on this offer to marvel at how things have changed
since Rioja was cheap and
port and madeira were the
only Portuguese wines of which anyone had heard.
ALL PRICES ARE PER 6 BOTTLE CASE IN BOND
SPAIN
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