About Rioja Red Wines

Rioja is the name of a region in Spain, and this name is used on the wine labels to indicate that the wine is made only in this region and follows the rules and regulations of the region.

Wines labelled with Rioja are made mainly from Tempranillo grape and blended additional 2 to 3 grapes to contribute to the complexity of the wines.

Similar to Bordeaux wines, where they are always blended, the only question is which is the main grape, so is Rioja, always blended, and the main grape is always Tempranillo as the highest % Blend.

SO NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE GRAPE, WHAT ABOUT QUALITY LEVEL?

One of the main popular among Rioja wines is to follow the rules of the pyramid of Aging the wines before release, and this works as a marker for quality.

The higher up the Pyramid, will have grapes from better vineyards, and more controlled wine making.

In nutshell, for serious wine lovers, it is good to straight away just start with the Rioja Reserva on the label for your everyday enjoyment for good wine experience. Especially for coming home after a hard day's work and you want to enjoy a glass of wine.

But if you are dating, entertaining clients, gathering with friends, or out on a special occasion, then always go for the Rioja Gran Reserva.

The Rioja Gran Reserva wines are limited production, made using grapes from the finest vineyards, aged in barrels for at least 2 years for complexity, and you will find them slightly more matured so showing multitude of flavors.