Wines from La Rioja

Located in the centre of the routes connecting the Mediterranean with the Bay of Biscay, La Rioja is the region that gives its name to the most prestigious wines in Spain. Those very wines that Hugh Johnson described as "the best in the world in relation to their price".

To say Rioja, is to say quality wine in many different forms. A privileged geographical position dominated by the River Ebro, the presence of the excellent autochtonous grape Tempranillo and a long tradition, this wine figures in the verses of one of the first documents written in the Castilian language, found in a Riojan monastery, make the region the ideal setting for the production of great wines.

La Rioja produces white, rose and red wines, though it is the latter which have been recognised on the international markets and which have for decades epitomised Spanish quality red wine. These are wines of an intense ruby color, with ripe berry aromas and aged in oak barrels, smooth and full of flavor on the palate.

The old Rioja with its velvety touch has stood up firmly to the competition of other wines, such as Ribera del Duero, the Cabernet musts and other French-origin names, which arrived later to break the monopoly on reserve red wines held by Rioja in Spain.

In any case, the broad range of the Riojan wineries, with high, medium and popular wines, means that this D.O. still enjoys a comfortable advantage over other Spanish regions when it comes to marketing its product.

Everything indicates that the leading wineries in La Rioja have taken the job of creating identifying characteristics for their respective wines very seriously, recreating attractive original styles which point to a future much richer in subtleties for the Riojan wines.

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