Rioja is a wine in Spain made from grapes grown in the autonomous communities of Navarre and La Rioja and the Basque province in Alava. Rioja is subdivided into 3 zones:
- Rioja Alta
- Rioja Oriental
- Rioja Alavesa
If you wish to buy Rioja wine online, do you have an idea about this drink? Rioja is commonly a red wine from the Tempranillo grapes though sometimes use other kinds of grapes:
- Garnacha
- Mazuelo
- Graciano
Tempranillo is known for its structure, savory taste, and tannins, though it is remarkably fruitier than the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Is the wine dry or sweet?
When it comes to the profile of Spanish Rioja, it will offer an entirely slightly sweeter and less dry experience for most. The acidity will tend to be mostly high, but there is a variety that offers both:
- low acid
- lower tannins
It depends on who the vintner will be. An ideal Rioja has medium sweetness with medium tannins and medium to high oakiness on it, combined with low acidity to yield smooth and flavorful wine.
How to drink?
How do you drink wine? It depends wholly on the variety chosen. If this is a young Rioja wine, it is best consumed in 2 years after the release. An aged Rioja wine has a longer shelf life and aged for around 7 years. As such, it makes perfect accompaniments to special occasions.
Food that Rioja wine best paired with
Due to the mostly easy-drinking Rioja, most foods include:
- Seafood paired with Rioja wine.
- Sirloin is best paired with the wine if you are after the best-tasting experience
- Read meats paired beautifully with the flavors of the Rioja wine steals the show
Best Rioja wines
There are the best Rioja wines. There are many Rioja producers in Spain. If you want to state some of the top Rioja wines, you can give those bottles a try. Rioja is defined mostly by the age of oak barrels.
While it relies solely on the American oak, due to flavors of vanilla, dill, coconut, and caramel, these imparted to the wines. It is a common practice for Rioja wine to age in French oak barrels. There are many Rioja wines available, such as:
- In rose
- In white
- In red varieties
These are sold in bodegas around Spain. However, internationally red Rioja wine is the most famous kind. The area of Rioja wine is found below the Cantabria mountains. The area is located in Spain in the north-central parts, which is where the most historical wine regions will be. The name Rioja is from:
- Rio Oja
- Oja River
It is a tributary of the central Ebro River, which supplies water to the region.
Are you interested in including Rioja wine in your wine collection?
