Ultimate Rioja Wine Tasting 🍷 Spain’s Most Famous Tempranillo!

Ultimate Rioja Wine Tasting 🍷 Spain’s Most Famous Tempranillo!

OK, Rioja. What the hell is it? Where is it from? Why is it so good? If you’ve ever heard anything about Spanish wine, read anything or drunk Spanish wine, you’ve probably come across Rioja. I’m James Blick, co-founder of Devour Tours.

We run wine tastings and wine tours throughout Spain and I want to make you a Rioja guru over the next few minutes. I’m going to give you some really fantastic information that will get you up to speed, help you make better choices, drink better wine.

I’m also going to drink these three fantastic Riojas in your company. So stick around. OK before we dive in and start drinking these wonderful wines together I’m going to answer three really basic questions that we often get asked about Rioja on our wine tours and wine tastings. Number 1: Is Rioja a grape?

No, it’s not. Rioja is a wine region in Spain. It’s the most famous wine region in Spain. See, we have 69 wine regions in Spain and Rioja, as I say, is just one of them. But it’s the most famous. 2.

So if Rioja is not a grape, if it’s the region, what is the grape in Rioja? Well in red Rioja the most predominant grape and the most famous one is Tempranillo. This is actually the most famous red grape in Spain. Number 3: Is Rioja always red? Is it always a red wine?

No, it’s not. There are wine Riojas and some white Riojas are spectacular. And there’s a long tradition of making white wine in the region. But generally we think of it as a red region. If someone asks you for a bottle of Rioja, they probably mean red.

Alright, easy questions out of the way, let’s dive into the wine and drink some together. And given we’re going to drink the wine now, I should mention where we are. We’re in a wine bar in Madrid called La Fisna.

It’s in the Lavapiés neighbourhood and it is one of my favourite places to drink wine. They have a fantastic selection of Spanish and international wine by the glass so check it out if you come and visit. OK, this guy. We’re starting with a wine that is a legend in Rioja.

It’s from a winery called López de Heredia and it’s called Vina Tondonia. And this is a winery that’s been around since 1877 and as I say they’re really, really famous. And they make what we call “traditional Rioja”.

And effectively what that means, is that they make their wine in the style that the wines were made in that region 100 years ago. They haven’t changed a bit. They’re very stubborn and rightly so. So when you drink this style of Rioja from this winery, you’re going to be tasting…

It’s like a time machine, it’s like jumping back into the past, tasting what the wines once were like. So what does that mean? We’ll, let’s have a smell and a sip and find out.So with these wines you smell what we call tertiary aromas.

You smell the ageing, because this guy has been ageing for 12 years. And that’s very typical of old school Rioja. You’ll see the label says 2005. It was only released this year in 2017. It’s the latest vintage in a sense.

And the result is something that smells of dried figs, of vanilla from the oak. Wow, these wines are so spectacular. It’s like, how special to be able to taste a wine like it might have so long ago. Savoury notes, like leather. There’s fruit in there.

But it’s not super super fruity like some more modern styles are. Now, if you ever go to Haro, where the winery is. It’s a town in Rioja. You have to visit these guys. You’re walking into like a wonderland of wine. There’s moss all over the walls. It’s like a living organism. Barrels stacked.

You can see how they make and toast the barrels. It is a truly wonderful visit. And so this is what we call a traditional Rioja. Now we’re going to move onto a more modern style. Now this is a personal favourite.

And first of all I want to say thank you to Maria Fernandez from the company that looks after the marketing for this winery because I emailed all three wineries and these guys sent me two bottles. So that was very, very generous because this is not a cheap wine. So thank you very much.

Now, about this wine. So we’ve had traditional Rioja. Now we’re moving into modern Rioja. And Roda is a winery that opened 110 years after the last guy, in 1987. And what happened in the meantime? Well, styles of wine changes a little bit. And so they became more fruity, more fruit-forward, more intense.

And that’s what we get in modern Rioja. And that’s what we get in Roda. Now one thing to keep in mind. When you go and visit Rioja – and Haro, that particular town I was talking about – literally

A 5 minute walk up the road from López de Heredia, you can visit this bodega, this winery, and you can taste their wines. You can literally walk around and then you can go and walk into the town and eat roast lamb for lunch. So, visit Haro, that wonderland of wine! Sorry, I’m babbling.

Onto the wine. I’m going to try it. Ah, yes. Intensity, fruit, black plums, chocolate. Fuller, warmer, more fruity, dark fruit. I mean, it’s delicious. They’re both delicious. I suggest checking out these guys because it’s really unique wines. They’re elegant but they’re really bold and expressive. OK, wine number 3.

Getting a little bit tipsy. Now we’re going to move to a really famous winery that’s caused a bit of a stir lately. Let me geek out for a second and tell you what’s happening in Rioja right now.

So, the problem in Rioja is that you can buy a bottle of Rioja that’s €3 all the way up to €600. And that’s really confusing for the consumer. And so guys – well, guys – wineries like Artadi were saying please let us give a bit more

Specificity on the label and say “Rioja” but then say exactly where in the region our wine in made. Because it’s made in a really famous part of the region and the region is so diverse. So by knowing where it’s made, you might know a little bit more about what the wine might

Be like. But see the Rioja labelling requirements didn’t allow that to happen so you know what these guys did? They left the region. I don’t mean physically, but they left the governing body and they took the little Rioja

Label off the back of their wines so they could do whatever they want with their labelling. And now the Rioja region has responded and in the future they will allow people to write the village or the area of Rioja that their wine is made.

It’s again that modern style, really extracted, really dark, really fruity. Wow. That is a big, juicy, really rich wine. It’s delicious. I mean, this is a wine that’s just… it’s a crowd pleaser. But not in a cheap and tacky way.

This is one that you could serve for your friends that’s really reasonably priced. Serve it for dinner and everyone with love you. Trust me. So guys, check out these three wines. They’re all delicious from Rioja. They all tell a different story of the region. And they’re all a little bit unique.

So do check them out. If you want to buy any of these wines, there’s links below to do that. If you want to come on a wine tour or come to one of our wine tastings then check out devourtours.com.

If you want to drink great wine, come to La Fisna when you’re in Madrid. And if you liked this video, give me a thumbs up please. They sounds really beggy, but go on, give me a thumbs up.

If you want to see more videos about how we eat, drink, live and love in Spain, then subscribe. Also, I have one more think to ask for. I want to hear from you guys. I have a question. Tell me what wines, what Spanish wine regions, you want me to make videos about.

If you’re interested in sherry, or if you’re interested in – I don’t know – a wine region in Catalonia or in the north of Spain, then just let me know in the comments below and I’ll make a video about it.

I’ll drink 3 wines with you from that region and tell you a little bit about it. Great to see you guys. I’m going to stick to my wine now, I’m going to get back to it. Salud! Thanks again!

Discover Rioja wine! This video is all about Spain’s most famous red wine, made with the Tempranillo grape. Venga, let’s go! 🥝

⏩ Watch Next: Learn All About Spanish Wine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRIPi7DOLsc&list=PLWoKRXwP0XnJ2Ex0LvOrx3psJ_8FkyAYQ

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MORE ABOUT THIS VIDEO 😃
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If you’ve ever drunk Spanish wine, I’m sure you’ve heard of Rioja wine. It’s without a doubt Spain’s most famous wine region. In this video, I drink three wines (all made with tempranillo) from iconic wineries to help you understand the region a little better. I discuss the flavours and aromas of each wine (or vino, as we call it here in Spain), and also talk about the difference between modern and traditional Rioja.

And who am I? I’m James Blick, co-founder of Devour Tours and a certified sommelier, trained by WSET, one of the most famous wine training centres in the world!

Also, I also answer some really common questions about Rioja, namely:
– Are all Rioja wines Tempranillo?
– Is Rioja a red wine or a white wine?
– What is the grape in Rioja wines? (Hint: it’s tempranillo!)

READ ABOUT THE RIOJA/ARTADI CONTROVERSY
http://bit.ly/2LBrOXM
http://bit.ly/2l1Supu

FILMED AT
La Fisna wine bar in Madrid (http://bit.ly/2zsS2Wb)

WHO ARE WE? 🥝
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Hola, Spain lovers! We’re James and Yoly. James is a New Zealander, and Yoly is from Spain. And we both live in Madrid. This channel is all about giving you a local insight into life in Spain, and helping you experience this country like a local when you come to visit (or live!). If that sounds like your kind of thing, bienvenido!

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