Off I went to the local supermarket to pick up a bottle of Italian plonk.  Big mistake.  I discovered that in Spain we sell Spanish wines not French, Italian or any other breed from around the world.  Although things have changed a bit in the past 12 years our wine supply is still pretty Spanish in origin so if you have not had it before and intend spending some time here you had better get a taste for it sharpish or go teatotal.

Labouring under the misconception that the staff would be able to point me in the right direction, I felt somewhat comfortable.  Shock horror, the owner was a very friendly little man but informed me that he was Iraqi and spoke Aramaic (the language of Jesus) or Spanish!  No assistance from that quarter then.  I was stuck in front of the red wine shelf totally alone for what seemed like an hour.

I decided to employ option 2 when buying wine, look for a decent label on the premise that if they bothered to get a decent label designed then they probably bothered to put something decent in the bottle.

Our first taste of Spanish wine was Marques de Caceres a Rioja and I have to say that after two bottles we felt far more at home in our new country.  Since then we have learned a lot about wine.  Our next abode was a rental property close to a Bodega so we would wander in and out buying different wines and as our Spanish improved we learned a little here and there from the owner about wines.

When we moved to the Costa de la Luz  where wine runs in everybody´s veins our little bit of knowledge grew and nothing can be more enjoyable than a Sunday afternoon´s drive through the vinyards between Lebrija and Sanlucar de Barrameda and at least now we know the difference between white and red grapes.

Being of a generous nature I would like to share with you the little bit we have learned so you don’t have to stand in fear and trepidation before the wine shelf.  Spanish wines are pretty simple – they fall in to 3 basic categories.

CRIANZA
Red has 24 months in a cask or bottle of which 12 months have to be in an oak cask.
White and Rose have 12 months in a cask or bottle of which 6 months have to be in an oak cask.

RESERVA
Red has 24 months in a cask or bottle of which 12 months have to be in an oak cask
White and Rose have 24 months in a cask or bottle of which 6 months have to be in an oak cask.

GRAN RESERVA
Red has 36 months in an oak cask and another 36 in a bottle.
White and Rose have 48 months in a cask or bottle of which 6 months have to be in an oak cask.

Most of us ignore the lettering on the bottle for fear of being marked as an Oz Clark or Jilly Goolden geek but sometimes a quick squint can pay dividends or at least explain why it is more expensive than the bottle on the shelf below.

D.O. stands for Denominacion de Origen (designation of origen).  This official label is gen to all quality Spanish wines but not to Cava.  The name that follows makes reference to the geographical area where the wine comes from.  DO´s are acknowledged by a Regulator Council controlled by the Spanish government and they have certain requirements regards planting, cultivating, harvesting, ageing etc which must be satisfied to have the DO mark

D.O.C.a stands for Denominacion de Origen Calificada (quality designation of origen) or a higher category than DO.  This mark certifies that the wine has consistently achieved the highest quality for a number of years and quality controls and grape selection as more rigorous.  Also compulsory is on site bottling.

Wine is a very personal thing like perfume or underwear.  We all like something different but here are a few I like and would recommend to you to try.

RED
Bordon Crianza
Milflores Rioja
Viña Real Crianza
Cumbrero Rioja
Sangre del Toro

WHITE
Laxas Albariño
Marques de Riscal Sauvignon Blanc
Barbadillo

ROSE
Gran Feudo Rosado
Rene Barbier

Enjoy the wine, the Spanish swear it makes you live longer!

Sadly having been the receiver of the fiver for many years I try to do a bit better. I fell in love with Christmas in Spain when in 1999 we were searching for a property to buy in the Costa de la Luz and have never fallen out of love with it. They do all the decorations thing just like the UK but they seem to be able to extract the “in your face” commercial element which sometimes leaves you a bit cold around the third week in December when you feel “they” have managed to make you spend more than you wanted to even though you were determined not to. We have a slightly different slant on the food and drink gifts here – no bottles of whisky and jars of stilton. We have Bodegas or wine and sherry houses which always have a shop attached. Pick up a couple of bottles of Moncloa from Tio Pepe in Jerez de la Frontera for instance. Finca Moncloa is situated in Arcos de la Frontera in the Costa de la Luz it produces a premium quality red wine in small quantities. They use Syrah, Tempranillo and Cabernet grape and age the wine in American and French oak barrels.

It is a wine only sold by them and has a limited number of bottles per year so it is something you can´t buy just anywhere. Even Nan should enjoy a glass of that. Food gift wise I tend to go to La Chanca in Chiclana de la Frontera. It sells the finest the sea can provide in tuna and fish products. They have a good selection of gift boxes including exquisite cuts of tuna, fish roe and tuna pates, excellent anchovies and mojama (salt cured tuna) we cut it into thin strips and eat it with almonds in our house at Christmas. All their products travel well so you can stick them in your suitcase and take them back as an unusual gift and you might like to stop off at one of our cheese delicatessens and pick up some Manchego (a strong light coloured cheese ranging from slightly spongy to hard as a brick) the flavour and consistency depends on how long the cheese has been cured and what type you buy. I prefer the strong hard kind which I cut into 3mm wedges and top with an anchovy and some Membrillo (quince jelly) cut into tiny squares as an appetizer. The sweetness of the quince goes really well with the slightly salty anchovy.

If none of that fancy foreign food appeals then pop up to Ubrique and buy some of their leather. They make everything from belts to handbags and clothing up there and it is a lovely pueblo blanco where you can spend the day wandering around the narrow streets and poking your head into the courtyards to see what is happening. They are all locals and their leather craft is their bread and butter so give it a try. If you happen to be driving down the coast towards Tarifa on the other hand, go in to some of the Alfarerias (Pottery Workshops) you can pick up small pieces for literally a couple of euros or you can go the whole hog and order a tile picture hand painted to your specification but Ryanair might balk at the weight so only a practical gift if you have a car with you and intend to drive back. Many of the workshops have 3 or 4 generations of the same family working there. The skills are passed from father to son and on to grandson. Just spend some time watching their craft or take a few photos to bore the rellies with when you get back.

My last gift option is Gibraltar. They are excellent for jewellery, perfumes, electronic goods, alcohol and cigarettes but we are not supposed to give them as gifts now – gone are the days when you gave grandad 200 fags every crimbo and he happily lived till he was 95! Despite the two votes to join Spain in 1967 and 2002 the wise voting of the Gibraltarians kept The Rock a British dependency where goods are VAT and duty free. Hence the prices are good and the selection excellent. Some of the jewellers will make items to order in double quick time and the perfumes are all the latest as seen in your favourite magazine or on TV but if you are bringing it back in to Spain and not leaving on a plane from Gibraltar check the rules regarding imports. You do not want to spend a few hours in the Customs and Excise building at the border while they rearrange your hire car not to mention your anatomy! HAPPY CHRISTMAS