Top 100 red wines of Rioja
Discover the top 100 best red wines of Rioja as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Rioja and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Rioja
Rioja, in northern Spain, is best known for its berry-flavored, barrel-aged red wines made from Tempranillo and Garnacha. It is probably the leading wine region in Spain. It is certainly the most famous, rivaling only Jerez. The Vineyards follow the course of the Ebro for a hundred kilometres between the towns of Haro and Alfaro.
Besides Tempranillo and Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) are also used in Rioja's red wines. Some wineries, notably Marqués de Riscal, use small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. White grapes are planted much less. In 2017, the vineyard area was recorded at 64,215 hectares (158,679 acres).
Discover the grape variety: Tempranillo
The black Tempranillo is a grape variety native to Spain. It produces a variety of grape specially used for the elaboration of wine. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by medium-sized bunches and medium-sized grapes. The black Tempranillo can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Rhone valley, Provence & Corsica, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais.
Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Rioja
red wines from the region of Rioja go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or veal such as recipes of pasticcio (greece), harira algerian soup or veal chop with rosemary.
Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Rioja
On the nose in the region of Rioja often reveals types of flavors of cream, hazelnut or balsamic and sometimes also flavors of black plum, dried herbs or tobacco leaf. In the mouth in the region of Rioja is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
News from the vineyard of Rioja
Old Vine Charter: Perth’s Swan Valley to preserve historic vines
Old vines from Western Australia’s Swan Valley will be protected in the soon-to-be launched Swan Valley Old Vine Charter (OVC). More than 20 wineries from this historic region, a 30-minute drive from the state capital of Perth, are participating. The programme will see grapevines from 35 to 125 years of age registered and preserved. Participating wineries include Talijancich Wines, Nikola Estate, John Kosovich Wines, Mandoon Estate and Sandalford Wines. While the vines are predominantly Shiraz, ...
Platinum: The 97 point wines of DWWA 2022
The largest-ever year for entries, an incredible 18,244 wines were judged at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – with just 163 wines awarded a Platinum medal. ‘Winning a Platinum medal is something really exceptional’ said Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Platinum is like the stratospheric level’ she commented, ‘so it’s really saying to the winemaker: this is a great wine.’ Making up just 0.87% of the total wines tasted at the 2022 c ...
Corpinnat announces large boost in sales
The 11 producers within the group saw total sales reach 2.3 million bottles for 2021 which erased the general 23% contraction in sales during 2020 and surpassed 2019’s 2.2 million bottles sold. What’s more, the per bottle price rose 2% from 2020 to an average of 17.35€. This is an important distinction in a country where sparkling wines are regularly found in supermarkets for 2€ a bottle or even less. The Corpinnat producers admit that this rise in price will unfortunately be offset ...