Hi Don and Gerry,
I can see that three weeks in Burgundy had its down side, as I missed a very interesting and wide ranging discussion of Spain's culinary and vinous treasures. It has been a great discussion and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it through from start to finish. Sorry to have been on the road and missed most of the action here- and very sorry to hear of Diana's passing Gerry.
I wanted to toss out one question to Gerry, if it is not too late in the conversation. Do you think that the stylistic pendulum is beginning to swing back for Spanish wines in the last year or two and that we might one day again see more old school Rioja and the like being produced by bodegas? My perspective is not very good in this regard, as virtually no one sends me samples of "modern" Spanish wines these days, so I taste a lot more Ribera Sacra than I do Ribera del Duero or Rioja, and I have really lost a feel for what is going on in the regions that had most heavily endorsed the "modern" recipe of extraction, overripeness and French new wood. Do you think there is light on the horizon, or are the dark days likely to continue in these regions?
All the Best,
John
