Welcome to the ninth and final part of the series The great wine regions. We have travelled through France, Italy and Germany, and now we conclude in Spain. More precisely in Rioja, the region that in the hearts of many wine lovers is the very embodiment of Spanish red wine.
Rioja is a region with a long history, a strong identity and a particular system for how long the wines are aged before they reach your glass. If you already drink Spanish wine with pleasure but would like to understand what the label actually says and why the wines taste the way they do, then this is your guide.
Hvad du lærer
- What characterises Spanish wine, and why Rioja has a quite special status
- Tempranillo and the other grapes that shape the region's wines
- What the ageing designations Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva mean
- How the wines typically taste, and how the style has changed
Spanish wine and Rioja in brief
Spain has a long wine history, but in more recent times something decisive happened. From the 1970s until the late 1980s, the country worked its way away from a reputation for cheap bulk wine and towards quality at a sensible price. That became the foundation for the Spain we know today.
The classification resembles the French and Italian ones. The most important level is called Denominación de Origen (DO), which corresponds to French AOC and Italian DOC. Above it sits an even more exclusive designation, DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada), which was introduced as the country's highest level. Rioja was the first and for a long time the only region to achieve this status. That says something about the region's special place in Spanish wine.
Rioja lies in northern Spain, not far from the Atlantic, and stretches like an elongated band between two mountain ranges that protect the valley from the warmest southern winds. The river Ebro runs through the region, and the vineyards lie at altitudes from about 300 to 900 metres. That combination of mountains, river and altitude gives a varied landscape and thus different wine styles.
The region is traditionally divided into three sub-areas: Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa to the northwest, where the cooler Atlantic influence is felt most clearly, and Rioja Baja (also called Rioja Oriental) to the east, where the climate is warmer and more Mediterranean in character. The same grapes can therefore yield wines of quite different character, depending on where they grow.
Rioja is first and foremost a red wine region. By far the largest part of production is red wine, but white wine, rosé and even a little mousserende vin and sweet wine are also made here.
Tempranillo and the other grapes
The heart of Rioja is the blue grape Tempranillo. It is the primary red grape variety and the one that gives the region's wines their recognisable profile. Tempranillo contributes a fine balance between fruit, structure and the ability to mature elegantly in barrel and bottle.
Tempranillo, however, rarely appears entirely on its own. Its most classic partner is Garnacha, a grape that adds round fruit and a little more body, and which often thrives best in the warmer parts of the region. Together the two form the traditional backbone of many Rioja red wines.
On the white side, Viura is the most important grape. White wine makes up only a small part of production, but interest is growing, and one sees, among other things, Garnacha Blanca slowly making a comeback as well as touches of grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc and local varieties. That is worth remembering if you feel like discovering Rioja from an angle other than the red.
Historically the region grew more than a hundred different grape varieties before the vine louse phylloxera struck around the year 1900. Today the range is more focused, but there are still old vineyards over a hundred years old side by side with newer plantings.
Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva
This is where many start to feel uncertain, but the principle is actually straightforward. In Rioja the label often indicates how long the wine has been aged at minimum, both in oak barrel and in bottle, before it may be sold. It is not an expression of taste, but of maturation time, and it gives you a good pointer about the style.
For red wines it looks, simplified, like this:
- Crianza: at least two years of ageing in total, of which a period in oak barrel. Younger and typically more fruit-driven.
- Reserva: at least three years of ageing in total, with a longer time in barrel. More developed and rounded.
- Gran Reserva: at least five years of ageing in total, with considerable time in barrel, and typically made only in the better vintages. The most mature and complex category.
White and rosé wines have their own, shorter requirements. Besides these there is also the young category (often called Joven), which has little or no barrel ageing and is drunk young and fresh.
The traditional barrel in Rioja holds 225 litres, and the region has historically been known for using American oak, which gives a characteristic mark of vanilla and spice. Every approved wine also carries the region's official stamp on the label as a guarantee of authenticity, so you can always see what you are dealing with.
How to read the label
Think of the designation as a promise of minimum time, not a definitive answer about quality. A well-made Crianza can be a great pleasure with everyday food, while a Gran Reserva often unfolds best at the long dinner, where there is time to let the wine breathe.
How the wines taste
Classic Rioja red wine has a core of red fruits, often cherry and plum, layered together with notes from the barrel ageing. The use of American oak over a longer period has traditionally given the characteristic tones of vanilla, coconut and spice, as well as a soft, rounded texture as the wine matures. The tannins, that is, the slightly astringent sensation from the grape's skin and from the barrel, become more manageable over time.
In recent years the style has shifted. Many producers today work with a more restrained use of oak and more often use French barrels rather than American ones. The result is often fresher, more fruit-driven wines, where the grape's own character is allowed to come through more clearly. This means you can encounter two quite different expressions under the same regional name, and both are genuine Rioja.
The sub-area also plays a part. Wines from the cooler, Atlantic-influenced parts typically have more freshness and finesse, while the warmer zones give rounder, fuller wines. That is part of what makes Rioja fun to explore.
Kort fortalt
- Rioja lies in northern Spain and was the first region with the country's highest classification, DOCa.
- Tempranillo is the central grape, often in the company of Garnacha, while Viura dominates on the white side.
- Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva tell of minimum ageing time in barrel and bottle, not of taste in itself.
- Classic Rioja is marked by American oak with vanilla and spice, while a newer style is fresher and more fruit-driven.
Ofte stillede spørgsmål
Does Gran Reserva mean that the wine is better than a Crianza?
No, it means that the wine has been aged longer, both in barrel and bottle, and is typically made only in good vintages. That gives a more mature and complex style, but a good Crianza can suit many occasions just as well. It is about what you are in the mood for.
Is all Rioja heavily oaked wine?
Not any more. The traditional style with marked American oak still exists, but many producers today make fresher wines with a more subdued oak character, often in French barrels. There is something for both the classic and the modern taste.
Klar til næste skridt?
With this we have reached the end of the road in the series about the great wine regions. If you want to revisit a favourite or fill a gap, you can always return to Bordeaux, Bourgogne or one of the other parts.
The beautiful thing about getting to know regions and designations is that you gain tools to choose with greater ease. But remember that the best connection is still the wine you like with the food you feel like. Let your curiosity lead you onward, and do drop by the range when you feel like putting the theory to the test in the glass. Here is to the journey.