I spent much of my early life in Southern Spain before it became the world's number one tourist destination and have long enjoyed drinking Spanish red wines, but to find a good white was another problem altogether.

On a recent trip we noticed that there had been a real revolution in the Cooperatives. These slumbering giants are now producing some wonderful wines at great value: just try my Cooperativa San Isidro Cepas del Zorro, Macabeo (white) and the Tinto Joven. The white is so fresh, crisp, clean with loads of juicy citrus fruits, more akin to a lovely sauvignon from the Loire. The red is just pure crunchy red and black fruits both in aroma and taste.

In the DO of Jumilla we came across a stunning estate called Olivares . The really important thing here was the altitude, the cool nights in this desert help to keep the grapes fresh, a twenty degree drop in temperature from midday to midnight stops the acidity from running away! Add to that 130 year old ungrafted vines and some excellent winemaking and you have a recipe for success.