Rioja
Rioja is Spain's most famous red region, built on Tempranillo blended with Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo. The classification ladder — Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva — is set by minimum aging in oak and bottle, with Gran Reserva requiring at least five years before release. Traditional houses lean on long aging in American oak for vanilla and dill notes; modernists use French oak and shorter aging for fresher fruit.
Signature grapes
Defining styles
Famous appellations
- Rioja Alta
- Rioja Alavesa
- Rioja Oriental
History
Bordeaux merchants displaced by phylloxera in the 1860s and 70s crossed the Pyrenees and brought barrel-aging discipline to Rioja. The DOC was upgraded to DOCa in 1991, the first Spanish region to earn the higher status. A 21st-century push to recognize village and single-vineyard tiers (Viñedos Singulares) has begun reshaping the prestige hierarchy.