In today's fractured economy, wine buyers are looking for a great value, and without doing a lot of homework, you may not be able to find better value than a bottle of wine from Spain.

It is true that Italy, France and Australia are competing to deliver great value wines to Americans saddled with a weak U.S., dollar. However, for the last decade, despite the decline of the dollar, Spain has made strides to improve the caliber of its wines and at the same time to open up wine districts that previously sold wine only domestically.

A vinous primer on the country could easily start with Macabeo, Bobal and Airen — which may sound like a law firm. In fact, it is really three of the local grapes that are almost completely unknown here. Never fear, however. You need not know the grape names to enjoy a bottle of Spanish wine.

The basics are not terribly complicated. Begin with the widely planted Tempranillo (temp-pran-EE-yo) grape, which makes some of the country's top red wines, notably those from the famed Rioja region as well as the emerging Ribera del Duero. Many of these wines are superb at 10 years of age, but wines designated Crianza are probably best drunk a bit younger.

Garnacha (gar-NA-sha), also called Grenache in other countries, is a lighter-weight red grape that can, in some Spanish districts, make a dark red wine that can stand on its own. And blended with Tempranillo, the resulting wine can be stylish and often reasonably priced.

Spain also makes a wide array of rosé wines (called rosado) that may be based on either of the above two red grapes, and many are dry enough to serve with anything, and a handful have a dollop of sugar so they pair with Asian foods.

Some of the best values from Spain are the sparkling wines, called cava. These are often made with local grapes Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Paralleda. Improved winemaking techniques have made the wines better than they have ever been.

The best of these wines come from the Penedes, the cool region just west of Barcelona, which is a superb place to visit and try the local wines.

Even the best cavas will not rival the best (BEGIN ITALS) methode champenoise (END ITALS) wines of Champagne or California, but they are a fraction of the price and a solid choice when a large party calls for a lot of bubbly.

Perhaps the best value of all from Spain is Sherry, that rich, nutty, intentionally oxidized wine from the south. Whether it's the bone-dry, angular Fino sherry that should be served as young and as cold as possible, or it's the rich, sweet cream sherries that accompany rich desserts, Sherry is a bargain. It is, after all, hard to produce and takes a long time to make it right.

Spain suffered internationally under former leaders, and entered the common market for trade with the rest of Europe on Jan. 1, 1986. A decade later, the country was reaping benefits of that trade, and that led to a huge building boom in every major city, not just Madrid and Barcelona.

Today, a number of wine companies are making wines in Spain from the more accepted grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. These can be priced reasonably, but I find more interest in Spanish wines from the local grapes.

One reason these wines are so reasonably priced is that the country has more grape acreage than any other country (3 million acres), greater even than Italy or France.

Yet traditionally Spain didn't make as much wine as Italy or France, but volumes are increasing and wine technology is making that wine of much higher quality than in the past.

That new, greater volume of wine has led to a surplus that allows for prices to be kept reasonable.

Wine of the Week: 2006 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha, Calatayud ($11): The aroma of this stylish red wine is that of violets and black pepper with hints of other complexity. A bargain, and a great example of an excellent Spanish red wine.

Dan Berger resides in Sonoma County, Calif. Berger publishes a weekly newsletter on wine and can be reached at danberger@VintageExperiences.com. To find out more about Dan Berger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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