Matthew Desoutter and Benjamin James are two Brits with a passion for wine. Between them, they have exported Spanish wine to the UK, sold Spanish wine online, delivered seminars on Spanish wine, and run wine tours – not to mention spending a good deal of time drinking the stuff!
Simply Spanish Wine is their first book, and it aims to give wine lovers a simple, informative guide to the Spanish wine world and the wonderful wines this country is producing.
In this book you’ll discover:
- how wine is made.
- what’s so great about sherry.
- what grapes go into Spanish wine.
- some of the regions where Spanish wine is made.
…and lots more
With the help of this book, you’ll be better able to understand the wine list in your local tapas bar, feel more confident when choosing your next bottle of Rioja, or simply fall in love with the fantastic wine that Spain produces.
Meet your Spanish wine guides

Matthew Desoutter
Matthew is a WSET-qualified wine writer and independent trader who has lived and worked in Spain for over 30 years. He first entered the wine world more than 30 years ago, working at Stephen Spurrier’s wonderful Les Caves de la Madeleine wine shop in Paris. From there, he headed south to Madrid where he spent twenty years working on agriculture and the environment. During that time, he developed a broad network of friends and contacts across the Spanish wine sector. He continued to expand his love and knowledge of wine through study and regular interaction with Spanish wineries. Since 2016, Matthew has dedicated himself full-time to the world of wine, exporting Spanish wines to the UK, selling wine online, running tours to Rioja and most recently, exploring the wines of France.
Benjamin James
Benjamin is a writer and communications professional who has been living in Spain for over 20 years. He has always been passionate about wine, but it wasn’t until he arrived in Spain that he discovered the enormous variety of styles that could be found within a bottle – and the exceptional value for money that Spanish wine represented. Since then, he has spent his free time travelling and tasting his way around Spain and writing about the wonderful wines Spain has to offer.

You can read more from Matthew and Ben on their Substack blog: Desoutter & James on Wine.