When you think of Spain, you may think of innovative architecture, Picasso, tapas, flamenco dancers, gorgeous women with black hair and flawless skin, or hot Spanish men wearing tight pants and espadrilles (or Pumas). Or you could think of Rioja wine.
Last summer I had the fantastic opportunity to visit Spain for the first of two weeks of travel. I went to Madrid and Barcelona in search of comfy espadrilles, delicious seafood, tapas, the sights and sounds of Spain, and of course, the wine – not necessarily written in priority order. (I found most but not all on the list…) What I did find was delicious wine which was reasonably priced and easily found in the States (except for the whites, but I’m saving that for another blog post-be sure to come back on Thursday..). In particular, I loved the Rioja.
As yet another effort to share tidbits of wine info (as my mantra “education can be a grape experience” states) to my readers, following are some *interesting facts* about Rioja ~
- Rioja wine is made predominantly from the Tempranillo grape, Spain’s premier black grape variety. This grape is the base of most blends which may include the Garnacha (grenache), Mazuelo, and Graziano grapes. Most Rioja wines are a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, but in the tasting note below, I had a Rioja blended with Tempranillo and Mazuelo.
- The Tempranillo grape is thick skinned, low in acidity, and grows most effectively where summer temperatures are balanced by the effects of the ocean or altitude. The Rioja region in the northeast area of Spain is surrounded by mountains and the River Ebro runs through it.
- The Rioja region was the first wine region in Spain to gain DOCa status. This classification (Denominacion de Origen Calificada) is very prestigious and a region must meet stringent requirements to be included. Only one other region, Priorat, has the DOCa status.
- The ageing terms for Rioja are Joven (the wines may or may not have spent time in oak before being bottled the year after the vintage), Crianza (red wines must have been aged for at least two years with a minimum of six months in oak), Reserva (red wines must have been aged for at least three years with a minimum of twelve months in oak), and Gran Reserva (red wines must be aged for at least five years with a minimum of thirty six months in oak…these are only produced in exceptionally good vintages).
- The best website I have found for information regarding Spanish wine is www.winesfromspain.com. You must check this out!
I met my travelling buddy for dinner not too long ago to reminisce, share some tapas, and of course, order a bottle of…Rioja! What did we have?
***Conde de Valdemar Crianza 2006 – Consisting of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Mazuelo grapes, I was transported back to Madrid and memories of those flamenco dancers! The color of this Rioja was medium ruby and on the nose there were red berries, plum, spice, and vanilla. I tasted raspberries, more vanilla, some cherries, and of course the oak. With medium acid, medium tannins, a price of less than $15.00, and 13.5% alcohol this well balanced Rioja had a lingering finish…like my memories of Spain! Delicious!
Cheers! ~ Cindy
