Rioja, situated in Northern Spain, is best known for berry-scented, barrel-aged red wines made from Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes. It is arguably Spain’s top wine region and the most famous. The vineyards follow the shores of the Ebro River for roughly 100 kilometers between the towns of Haro and Alfaro.
In addition to Tempranillo and Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) are also used in red Rioja wines. A few wineries also use small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon. White grapes on the other hand are not widely planted.
By 2017 the vineyard area was recorded at 64,215 hectares, 91 percent of which was planted with red grape varieties. Certified production of wine exceeded 250 million liters.
Aging Categories
Rioja’s traditional classification system for aging has influenced other Spanish regions. For example the words Crianza and Reserva occasionally appear on South American wine.
All top-end red Rioja is matured in new oak barrels. With French oak being difficult to obtain, winemakers in Rioja used American oak, which was both plentiful and inexpensive. More wineries are now using a mix of American and French oak. American oak maturation is what gives more traditional Rioja red wines their distinctive notes of coconut, vanilla and sweet spice.
The amount of time that a Rioja wine spends in barrel dictates which of the official Rioja aging categories goes on the label: Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva.
Joven
Joven is Spanish for “young”, indicating that these wines should be consumed within a short period of being released; generally within two years. Joven wine spends little or no time in oak barrels so they are low in tannin and are not suited for retention. This category may also include wines which have undergone aging, but for one reason or another do not gain certifications for the higher categories.
Crianza
Crianza red wines are aged for at least one year in oak, and another year in the bottle. They are released in the third year. White Crianza wines must also be aged for two years but only six months needs to be in barrels.
Reserva
Reserva red wines spend a minimum of one year in oak. They cannot be sent to market until a full three years after the vintage. The white Reserva wines need only spend six months of the three years in oak.
Gran Reserva
Gran Reserva red wines must undergo a total of five years of aging with at least two of those years being spent in barrels. The white counterparts must age for at least four years, with a minimum of 12 months in casks.
In order to be more competitive internationally, many wineries now produce a premium wine that is aged entirely in French oak barrels. Because these wines are often the most expensive in the winery’s portfolio, but may only qualify as Crianza or Reserva, they are not often marketed with any emphasis on the aging classification.
Site-Based Classifications
In 2018, the governing body Consejo Regulador introduced three geographic categories. These can be implemented from the 2017 vintage onwards.
If producers adhere to strict guidelines they may now produce single-vineyard wines under the Viñedo Singular banner. Vines must be hand-picked and be at least 35 years old. Yields are set low and a tasting evaluation must be passed. If the fruit is not from an estate-owned site, then the winery has to have a ten-year history of buying grapes from the vineyard.
Wine labels may now also be labeled with the name of a village but the winery must be located within the village boundaries, as well as the vines.
White Wines
Rioja Blanco consists of 7 to 8 percent of Rioja’s annual wine production. The region’s top white-wine grape was once Malvasia, which was used to create flavourful, oak influenced high-alcohol wines. Today, the emphasis has shifted to Viura (Macabeo) and Chardonnay, to give a slightly lighter, fresher and more international white-wine style. Other varietals that are now included in white Rioja are Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca, Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc.
Other Styles
Rioja also produces some other styles of wine, the most notable of which are sparkling wines referred to as Cava. Certain parts of the region are authorized to produce Cava. A few dessert wines are also produced on a commercial scale from both red and white grape varieties.
The wines of Rioja are well worth a look. They are competitively priced and of equal quality to the better known Italian and French wines.
Sláinte mhaith
A Layman's Wine Musings 
Hi Dave could you suggest a couple of reds and whites that is available in Ontario.
my favorite reds are from Italy and some whites as well.
I have no experience with Spanish red or white wine but am willing to try something new.
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Hi Mike,
I tend to select my wines from the Vintages section rather than from the regular wines. I do this for a couple of reasons. First the LCBO has a rule whereby in order for a wine to appear on the regular shelves it has to be continually available on an ongoing basis. This restricts the suppliers to only the largest producers; those who often purchase grapes from a wide variety of growers thus increasing the risk of producing an inconsistent product. Also because these wineries have become so well known some of them over-charge for the quality of the product produced.
The challenge with the Vintages section is that many of the wines brought in are in limited supply with new releases appearing every 2 weeks. The wines are often from estate wineries that produce smaller and limited volumes. Thus if you are seeking wine from a specific winery you may go months or even years before it reappears on the shelves. I have found that I have been very rarely disappointed in any of my Vintage purchases. What I focus on is the varietal or the region the wine comes from rather than who the vintner is.
The price of Vintage wines is no more expensive than those found on the regular shelves but dollar for dollar I find them a better value. Personally, I am a big fan of Italian Barolos, Valpolicellas and Chiantis; French wines from the Rhône and Bordeaux regions; Rieslings from Germany’s Mosel region; Spanish wine from Rioja; and a wide variety of wines from Ontario and BC.
Dave
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