Rioja

[Jason]

In general, drink them when you are thirsty. No, really Rioja is one of the few regions who still age their wine prior to release. Like most regions the best examples will age very long, but the majority are able to be consumed upon release. I usually like the reservas as they offer a good blend of fruit and age. It is tough to generalize on Spain because there is great changes underway.The modern style is very different than the wines their fahther's made.Also the trend is
away from American oak, which has always been a calling card for Spain.With its recent inclusion into the EU Spain produces some great value right now. Don't overlook the whites either, some of the modern producers are really good (and cheap).