Rioja

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Rioja | Spain's most famous wine region

Located in the north of Spain, Rioja can be said to be the most famous and top wine producing region in Spain.

Rioja often uses the Tempranillo grape variety. The wine produced has a berry aroma and has red fruits such as strawberries, red cherries, tobacco, and leather.

Aged in American oak barrels, it has aromas of vanilla and coconut. The longer the wine is in oak barrels, the fresh fruit flavors will evolve into tobacco aromas, and the wine will be more mellow. If it is aged in French oak barrels, the aroma will be dominated by spices and the tannins will be stronger.

All high-end Riojas are matured in oak barrels. Historically, there has been a preference for American oak, but many wineries now use a blend of American and French oak. How long a Rioja wine stays in barrel determines the aging category: Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva.

Joven:
Joven means young in Spanish. It can be sold in the next year of the harvest year. It is usually not cultivated in oak barrels, and some will be short-term oak barrels. Some wineries will even mark Roble (the meaning of oak) on the wine label. , but usually shorter than the Select grade (Crianza). Fresh and full of fresh fruit.

Crianza:
The red wine is aged for at least 1 year in oak barrels, plus at least 1 year in bottle.

Reserva:
Reserva must be selected in an excellent year, matured for at least 3 years, at least 1 year in oak barrels, and 2 years in bottle.

Gran Reserva:
This is the highest level, the wine must be selected as the best quality special year, after 5 years of aging, at least 2 years in barrels and 3 years in the bottle before it can get the certification label.

Therefore, these certifications are also a guarantee of quality.

Tempranillo from different regions:
Ribera del Duero next to Rioja is hot in summer and cold in winter. The Tempranillo produced is thick, with high alcohol content and strong dark fruit aroma.
In Douro, in the north of neighboring Portugal, Tempranillo is one of the main grapes for making port wine (fortified wine), and it is also the main ingredient of local red wine blends, adding red fruit and floral aromas to red wine. Alentejo in southern Portugal has more red wines made from 100% Tempranillo. Grapes grown in warm weather have more mature tannins and medium acidity. The wines have rich fruity aromas and high alcohol content.

Tempranillo is grown in many regions, but due to different climates, geography and winemaking techniques, the wine can have a variety of styles. In addition to Tempranillo, the Rioja production area also includes Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. Some wineries, notably Marqués de Riscal, use small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. White grapes are far less widely planted, with 91% planted on red grape varieties. The certified wine production exceeds approximately 250 million liters.

Tempranillo name:
Tempranillo has been given different names in Spain. In Ribera del Duero it is called Tinto Fino, in La Mancha it is Cencibel, and Penendes calls it Ull de Llebre. In northern Portugal, Tempranillo is called Tinta Roriz, and in the south, Aragonez. Perhaps for this reason, although Tempranillo can produce red wines with aging potential and different styles, its popularity and recognition are far less than that of other international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Pinot Noir. In addition to Spain and Portugal, Tempranillo is grown in Australia, Argentina and South Africa, but the output is not large, and it is rare in Hong Kong.