Guide to Wine from La Rioja

‘In relation to their price, wines from Rioja are the best in the world‘. Hugh Johnson

Located in the centre of the routes connecting the Mediterranean with the Bay of Biscay, La Rioja is the region that gives its name to the most prestigious wine in Spain.

To say Rioja, is to say quality wine in many different forms. A privileged geographical position dominated by the River Ebro, the presence of the excellent grape Tempranillo and a long tradition of winemaking.

This wine figures in the verses of one of the first documents written in the Castilian language, found in a Riojan monastery, make the region the ideal setting for the production of some really great wines.

La Rioja produces white, rose and red wines, though it is the latter which have been recognised on the international markets and which have for decades have epitomised Spanish quality red wine. These are wines of an intense ruby color, ripe berry aromas and aged in oak barrels to produce a smooth texture, full of flavor for the palate.

The old Rioja with its velvety touch has stood up firmly to the competition of other wines, such as Ribera del Duero, the Cabernet musts and other French-origin names, which arrived later to break the monopoly on reserve red wines held by Rioja in Spain.

The broad range of the Riojan wineries means that this D.O still enjoys a comfortable advantage over other Spanish regions when it comes to marketing its wine.

Everything indicates that the leading wineries in La Rioja have taken the job of creating unique characteristics for their wine very seriously, recreating attractive and original styles which point to a future much richer in subtlety.

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