Spanish Wine Regions > Rioja
From the heights of its age-old tradition, Rioja’s wines are now facing the modern age and we find ourselves sampling new wines from this area and being very pleasantly surprised. The area offers the Tempranillo wines at their best. This fact, together with the great array of wineries spread through the area, give as a result superior wines. These reds are elegant, smooth and full of this dark fruit flavour mixed with a slight oak touch which makes Rioja’s so distinctive. There is no better wine than a Rioja Crianza or Reserva to drink with a good lamb roast. It is interesting to try different wines but from time to time is good to go back to the old Rioja!
Wine region's location
La Rioja can be found in the north of Spain, along the valley of the River Ebro, clearly defined by two mountain ranges, the Sierra Cantabria to the north and the Sierra de la Demanda to the south. This wine region is divided into three different areas; Rioja Baja, Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. All three areas have very distinctive wines, mainly due to diverse soil and whether conditions which vary from area to area and have both Mediterranean and Atlantic influences. This D.O. has some of the oldest wineries in Spain and the wines of Rioja are, without a doubt, known the world over. Having said that, today Rioja has to face fierce competition from other very strong Spanish areas, like Ribera del Duero, Priorat or Somontano, amongst others.
Wine characteristics
White Wines
For the most part, white wines from Rioja are produce with
the Viura grape. They are generally young wines, with a flat
yellow colour and a fruity and herby taste. Another style
of whites are those which are barrel fermented. They are light
gold in colour and taste of fruits with the added aromas of
wood. Alternatively you can have more traditional Crianzas
which are of dark gold colour with dominant oak aroma and
flavour.
Rose Wines
Rioja Rose wines are solely produced in the Rioja Baja area
using the Grenache grape. This gives them a light raspberry
colour and a fresh and fruity taste that is typical of this
grape and very pleasant to the palate.
Red Wines
Red Riojas offer a large scope from where to chose from. A
popular choice are the young wines, better drank during the
year, which will have a strong aroma of sunny, ripe fruits
and herbs but are light and easy to drink. Also well established
are the wines aged in barrel. This will vary from crianzas,
where the fruity notes will be softened up by the influence
of the wood, to the reservas and, most of all, the gran reservas
(minimum of two years in barrel and three in bottle) which
will have aromas of vanilla, leather and tobacco typical of
bottle aging.
Grapes
White GrapesViura
Malvasia
White Grenache
Red Grapes
Tempranillo
Red Grenache
Graciano
Mazuelo
Facts & Figures
Area: 62,150 ha
Average yearly temperature:
12 - 15 Celsius
Average yearly water fall:
400 mm
Email: info@baileyswines.com Website by: Dogfish (Norwich)
