Wines of Rioja

Rioja essentially used to be synonymous with Spanish wine. For many Americans, their first encounter with Spanish wines was a bottle of Rioja, and there are certain qualities associated with "Spanish wine" that are typical characteristics of Rioja wines. This region in the northwestern part of Spain has a winemaking history going back thousands of years and was the first Spanish wine region to establish a regulatory body to set quality standards for the region. It was also the first region to receive the prestigious D.O.Ca. (denominación de origen calificada) classification when it was created in 1991. Only one other region, Priorat, has achieved this distinction.

The high quality of Rioja wine really opened the door for wines from other Spanish regions to enter the international market, and these days Rioja rubs shoulders (and competes for space) with high-quality wines from all over Spain. So this week we're going to take a minute to examine Rioja more closely and explore its traditions and its recent innovations.

Join us this Friday, October 29 at 4pm on Instagram Live to learn more!