Top 100 wines of Rioja - Page 4

Discover the top 100 best wines of Rioja as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the 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 wine of Rioja

wines from the region of Rioja go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or veal such as recipes of beef bourguignon in the oven of nanou, lamb and coconut curry, african style or pork chops with veal stock sauce.