The Russians nor the Americans are in the EEA better to compare with the Norwegians or the Swiss for a more true probability.

First, if it's simply not available, how do you know what's better and what's not? There are some truly excellent Napa Valley wines (or Australian or Chilean or...) that most Europeans will never experience. The opposite isn't true, however, because Americans have the choice of wines from all over the world at most supermarkets, at reasonable prices. Americans have the luxury of choosing for themselves which wine suits them, but unfortunately, we are far more limited in those choices, and so we tend to be rather closed minded.

Second, There are plenty of poor Spanish wines just as there are poor wines anywhere. Depends on what you're comparing to. If you want to compare a $1/btl Gallo Cabernet with a €10 Rioja, that's hardly fair is it? But unfortunately, the cheap Gallo is likely the only thing you can get - for more than the cost of the Rioja.

Again referring to #1 above, if you can't get it, how do you compare? Just saying there's no need because Spanish wines are the only thing you ever need is not a sufficient argument. That's like saying you don't ever need anything other than a Spanish-made smartphone, so we aren't going to allow you to buy anything else.

As you readily admit, there are plenty of very good Spanish wines (as well as poorer ones) so why fly stuff from around the world??? Plenty of whiskey or Gin IS imported.
And you've destroyed your own argument by referring to smartphones. Easy enough to get Apples or Android devices in Spain. If the range of Spanish wines wasn't so fantastic there would no doubt be a big demand (and import) of wines from abroad. There isn't a demand because it's not needed.

Or because people are unaware of it's existence

I know plenty of Spanish wine buffs. They always tell me this

Why spend twice as much on a nice bottle of French wine, when there is plenty of great Spanish wines and more than enough variety to keep you going until the day you die

The same argument is used for Spanish food

It is only people who are completely ignorant of Spanish food and wine who will say that it's "all the same"

Once a British person (who lives in Spain) complained to me that you can only get queso Manchego in Spain, and that it is such a shame that you cant get all the French cheeses. I didnt know where to start, that kind of ignorance astounds me

The claim that foreign investment in Britain would not be affected if the UK were to leave the EU is not borne out by what some of the biggest ones have been saying:-

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ec821832-3...#axzz2qevzwhk2

Nor are claims that trading relationships with the USA would not be affected borne out by what the US administration has reportedly said on the matter:-




http://www.theguardian.com/business/...-us-trade-deal

Agree, we enjoy some Spanish wines, but equally we enjoy wines from various other places, especially Chile, it's nice not to be restricted to wine from just one country. Same with food, we enjoy some Spanish foods, but equally I enjoy Chinese, Thai, Indian etc. be a bit boring with just Spanish food and wine and exclude everything else.
A Brit here based in Andalucia getting some good press on his red wines, not cheap, but seemingly very good. Onwards and upwards, good luck to him.
http://www.tierrahermosa.com/in-the-press/

Ignorance is as ignorance does. I reckon that explains why everything non-Spanish is "rubbish".

From this
amideislas extrapolates this:

Is that the stupidest bit of logic we've ever seen on BE? Quite an achievement if so.

If someone living in Spain likes French cheese they are ignorant???

Another contender for crazy logic

Did your eyes somehow fail to see the bit "complained to me that you can only get queso Manchego in Spain" ?

Unlike CM I don't eat that much Spanish cheese, but I'm partial to a bit of cabrales.

Erm, you are referring to the wrong statement. In case you hadn't noticed, only our resident expert on all things possesses a level of wisdom and class worthy of such opinions. Anyone who challenges him is either ignorant, arrogant, racist, or otherwise beneath him.

Did your eyes somehow fail to see the insult when the poster says that ‘ that kind of ignorance astounds me’?

As I pointed out, and both you and Amis seem to turn a blind eye to this, he was referring to the person who only thought there was one kind of cheese in Spain and so wanted more choice of French cheese.
It's like someone (in the past) coming to the uk and complaining they couldn't get German lager because they only serve warm bitter. Of course now you can get German beers and lagers, but the point is there was (and is) a great variety of beers already available.