23rd Playhouse International Wine Festival

That means you have only a month to brush up on your Spanish language and wine skills before you wander about the massive international tasting room. Some 30 bodegas will be participating, each pouring mostly tinto from several vendimias. As you can see, there's plenty of work to be done before we even get to thinking about the various wine types and regions. Bodega, literally wine cellar in Spanish, is more commonly used to precede the name of a winery, producer, shipper or grower -- for example, Bodegas Palacio. Vina or vinedos means vineyard, but can also be used in a similar manner as bodega, such as Vina del Veros. That's why a winery such as Bodegas Chivite will appear in the "C" section of the alphabetically arranged tasting room, and not among the "Bs." The vintage or year a wine is made or harvested is important in Spain. The two words used on the labels are vendimia and cosecha, where they're followed by the year (for example: "cosecha 1997"). The terms joven, crianza, reserva and gran reserva indicate the age of the wine. In the case of reds, joven (or young wine) usually refers to the current vintage. Crianza indicates two years' aging in wood and bottle, of which at least one is in oak. Reservas are subject to three years or more of aging in wood and bottle, with a minimum one year in oak. Finally, the gran reservas are aged five years at the winery, with a minimum 24 months in oak. That should get you started, as will the following selection of tintos (red wines). Today's picks are available in B.C. liquor stores and all will be poured at the festival. For more details about festival week, April 2 to 8, and tickets, pick up a brochure at your local wine shop or check out the Web Site at www.winefest.mybc.com We begin with a simple table wine, Penascal, made by Ribera del Duero-based Vina Mayor. The winery uses mostly young tempranillo vines here that yield a simple, straight-up, spicy, cinnamon-flavoured red. It's spiked with round, soft and easy-drinking fruit. Fire up the barbecue and pull the cork on an inexpensive lightweight label that's perfect for a mid-week meal. Realeza is another '98 that's made with tempranillo and grown in the north-central Castilla y Leon region. The nose is a mix of dusty, peppery aromas and plum scents, with a smooth, fruity palate. It represents good value and is a fine example of the modern style Spanish red, something that bears no resemblance to those tired, leathery wines of the '70s and '80s. The recently demarcated DO zone of Somontano lies at the foothills of the Pyrenees, in Aragon in northeast Spain. Look for pretty vanilla and cherry aromas and flavours in an otherwise straightforward red. Like the Realeza and the Penascal, it is clean, balanced and will work with chicken or pasta. Ready to drink. The '97 Glorioso crianza from Bodegas Palacio is classic young Rioja. The textures are ripe, round and smooth. The fruit is a mix of plum and chocolates with a touch of pepper and spice at the edge, and just enough tannin to give some structure. A stylish red that would meld beautifully with lamb chops. The Vina Mayor has become a mainstay in this market, representing the intense flavours of Ribera del Duero. This is a delicious, ripe wine in the classic soft, approachable Spanish style. Also made with 100 per cent tempranillo, it spends 18 months in American oak, which gives its cherry-scented fruit a vanilla sheen. Elegant but pricey. One of the veteran Spanish exhibitors at the Playhouse Festival is Bodegas Martinez-Bujanda. Over the years we have come to expect great tnings from this winery, just like this Conde de Valdemar Reserva. It's an 82/18 mix of tempranillo and mazuelo that's aged nine months in stainless steel tanks, 26 months in oak casks and another 25 months in bottle. Look for an intense ruby-red colour, sweet oak aromas and rich, warm, plummy fruit flavours from start to finish. SPANISH REDS Producer: Penascal Tinto 1998, Castilla y Leon Price: $9.95 Stock No.: 343434 Score: 13.5/20 Comments: Mid-week quaffing red. Producer: Realeza 1998 Tempranillo, Castilla y Leon Price: $10.95 Stock No.: 510651 Score: 13.5/20 Comments: Peppers and plums in a dusty jacket. Producer: Vinas del Vero 1998 Merlot "El Arino," Somontano Price: $14.95 Stock No.: 546150 Score: 14/20 Comments: Mellow, round, plummy fruit. Producer: Bodegas Palacio Glorioso 1997 Crianza, Rioja Price: $18.95 Stock No.: 361469 Score: 15/20 Comments: Textbook young Rioja. Producer: Vina Mayor 1997 Crianza, Ribera del Duero Price: $22.95 Stock No.: 343426 Score: 14.5/20 Comments: Firm structure; peppery fruit. Producer: Conde de Valdemar 1995 Reserva, Rioja Price: $24.95 Stock No.: 342378 Score: 16/20 Comments: Classic, mouth-filling Rioja.