Rioja
Main grapes: RED: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano, WHITE: Viura
Sub-regions: This region is split into 3 sub regions: Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja.
Climate: The River Ebro runs through Rioja, with the Cantabrian Mountains on its north bank. These mountains are fairly crucial for the wine makers because they happily shield the vineyards from the worst of the Atlantic weather. Rioja Baja has a less maritime climate than its cousins, with super hot summers and very severe winters.
You should know... Oaking is quite a big deal in Rioja, and it seems to be favoured by most winemakers, whether wines are red or white. The Spanish get pretty creative with the oak too, using different oaks from all over the world; the classics from America and France as well as other European countries such as Hungary and Russia.
Sub-regions: This region is split into 3 sub regions: Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja.
Climate: The River Ebro runs through Rioja, with the Cantabrian Mountains on its north bank. These mountains are fairly crucial for the wine makers because they happily shield the vineyards from the worst of the Atlantic weather. Rioja Baja has a less maritime climate than its cousins, with super hot summers and very severe winters.
You should know... Oaking is quite a big deal in Rioja, and it seems to be favoured by most winemakers, whether wines are red or white. The Spanish get pretty creative with the oak too, using different oaks from all over the world; the classics from America and France as well as other European countries such as Hungary and Russia.