La Rioja

An anonymous Spanish saying says, “Good wine ruins the purse; bad wine ruins the stomach.” Luckily for Spaniards and wine enthusiasts around the world, almost all Spanish wine is good wine. And rightly so! Spain is the world’s third largest producer of wine, plus it devotes more of its land to wine production than any other country. Because of this, Spaniards have perfected the art of producing wine and a fine taste for enjoying this delicious drink. Let’s take a closer look at the Rioja region and the fine wine produced here.

La Rioja

La Rioja is a region perfect for growing grapes suitable for world-renowned wine. It’s nestled in the Northern part of Spain along the Ebro River and south of the Cantabrian Mountains. It’s divided into three different regions and climates: Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa (both have higher elevations and share a cool climate), and Rioja Baja – a drier and warmer climate. Wine drinkers can taste different wine flavors and textures from each region. For instance, wines from the Rioja Alta are filled with unripe fruit flavors that are light on the palate, whereas wines from Rioja Alavesa are a bit more aggressive due to their higher acidity and fuller body. Finally, wines from Rioja Baja have a low acidity and fewer aromas. However their alcohol content is extremely high with numerous varietals reaching 18% alcohol by volume. All Rioja wines use a combination of grapes to produce red, white and rose wines.

Rioja’s claim-to-fame that gives all wines a distinct flavor and aroma is its oak aging process. Barrel aging began in the 18^th century and currently it takes 4 – 8 years of aging to introduce delicious vanilla flavors into the wines. There are four categories of Rioja wine:

Rioja: Rioja is the broad name to categorize wines that spend less than one year in an oak cask.
Crianza: Crianza is a variety of wine that is aged for at least two years, in which one year was spent entirely in an oak barrel.
Rioja Reserva: These wines age for at least three years with one full year being spent in an oak barrel.
Rioja Gran Reserva: These decadent wines have aged for two years in oak and three years in a bottle before they are ready to drink.

Rioja wines are some of Spain’s best. Their unique oak aging process and great flavor demonstrate Spain’s dedication to producing quality wine. If you’re seeking a wine that exhibits the traditional grape growing process and attention to fine detail that won’t ruin the stomach, look no further than Rioja wines.