1. WHAT IT IS

Spain’s most famous wine region, along the River Ebro in the north. Red Rioja is led by Tempranillo, traditionally blended with Garnacha. Look out, too, for white Rioja from Viura: fresh, textured and quietly having a revival.

2. HOW IT TASTES

Red cherry and plum when young, moving towards darker fruit as the grapes ripen. The signature is oak: vanilla, coconut and sweet spice, with leather, tobacco and dried fruit as the wine ages.

3. THE LAND

• Rioja Alta – high vineyards (around 400–800m), mostly Tempranillo; home to Haro, the main wine town

• Rioja Alavesa – the smallest and coolest sub-zone; again Tempranillo-led

• Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja) – lower, hotter and flatter, with fertile soils; more Garnacha

4. THE FOUR STYLES

• Joven / Genérico (green) – no minimum ageing; usually young, bright, lively and red-fruit driven

• Crianza (red) – two years’ ageing, at least one in oak; fruit with a touch of oak

• Reserva (burgundy) – three years’ ageing, at least one in oak; leather and tobacco appear Gran Reserva (blue) – five years’ ageing, at least two in oak; dried fruit and real complexity, usually only made in the best vintages

Look for the coloured seal on the back label – it tells you how long the wine has been aged:

5. A BIT OF HISTORY

When phylloxera hit Bordeaux in the late 1800s, many of its winemakers moved to Rioja and helped establish the 225-litre barrique. Add Spain’s access to American oak, and the classic style was born. Today over 1.3 million barrels lie aging here.

6. OUR RECOMMENDED PAIRING

Match the wine to the weight of the food:

7. SAY IT RIGHT

Rioja = “ree-OH-ha.” The Spanish “j” sounds like a soft, breathy “h”.

8. IN A WORD

Time. Rioja is the wine that does the ageing for you – and the label tells you exactly how long.