Rioja

  • Sibarita in Vigo, Spain

    Sibarita in Vigo, Spain

    In late October 2025, my wife and I found ourselves in Vigo, Spain, looking for a glass of Albariño to pass the time while we waited for the rain to ease. A quick online search led us to Sibarita, a wine and tapas bar situated just above the city’s main square. The name “Sibarita” is…

  • Ramón Bilbao Crianza

    Ramón Bilbao Crianza

    This 2022 vintage is made entirely from Tempranillo and while it carries the Crianza level rather than the more prestigious Reserva or Gran Reserva, don’t let that fool you into underestimating this wine. In the winery, each vineyard plot is handled individually, with fermentation done separately before the final blend is brought together just ahead…

  • Viña del Cura Rioja Blanco

    Viña del Cura Rioja Blanco

    This wine made its first impression on me at a Tesco press tasting. This 2023 vintage sits at 13% ABV and is made from a blend of 90% Viura and 10% Tempranillo Blanco, produced by Barón de Ley. It’s vegan-certified and has spent time on lees, followed by four months in American oak barrels. The…

  • Extra Special Marques del Norte Rioja

    Extra Special Marques del Norte Rioja

    This is one of those wines you almost have to try, simply because it’s been given so may accolades this year. It took Gold at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards with an impressive 95 points, picked up Silver at the IWSC with 94 points and another Silver at the IWC scoring 92. Having enjoyed…

  • The Best of Rioja 2025

    The Best of Rioja 2025

    In February 2025, I attended Tim Atkin MW’s Best of Rioja tasting in London. Like the inaugural event last year, this was a truly rare occasion, bringing together an incredible collection of wines in one room. In this year when Rioja celebrates the 100th anniversary of the creation of its Denominación de Origen, the event…

  • Baron Amarillo Gran Reserva

    Baron Amarillo Gran Reserva

    I recently came across and purchased a newly listed wine at Aldi, the Baron Amarillo Gran Reserva (2014 vintage), with a brown label and gold mesh. This wine is produced by Pagos del Rey, part of the Felix Solís group, one of the largest family-owned wineries globally. It different to the Criadores de Rioja produced…

  • Specially Selected Rioja Reserva

    Specially Selected Rioja Reserva

    Aldi’s Rioja can be a bit confusing due to their approach to branding. They produce many wines under the Baron Amarillo label, which is just a white-label name and not tied to any specific producer. Under this name, Aldi also sells other Riojas, including those I mentioned during the Autumn/Winter press tasting. Two excellent options…

  • Muga Rioja Reserva

    Muga Rioja Reserva

    Muga is one of the most iconic and traditional bodegas in Rioja. Situated in the historic railway quarter of Haro, the capital of Rioja Alta, Muga is renowned for eschewing stainless steel tanks in favour of time-honoured methods. The bodega even operates its own cooperage, creating barrels from a variety of oak sources and carefully…

  • Marques Del Norte Rioja Gran Reserva

    Marques Del Norte Rioja Gran Reserva

    After the recent Asda press tasting, I decided to revisit the Marques Del Norte Rioja Gran Reserva to see if my initial impression of it being a great wine still held. With an ABV of 14%, this wine is also a 2024 IWSC Bronze Medal Winner. This Gran Reserva, made entirely from 100% Tempranillo grapes,…

  • Barón De Ley Gran Reserva Rioja

    Barón De Ley Gran Reserva Rioja

    This wine, 2017 vintage, 14% ABV, is produced exclusively in years deemed exceptional. It is aged for 24 months in a mix of American and French oak, followed by an additional 36 months in the bottle. Its aroma is classically Rioja, evoking the hallmark ripe cherries, vanilla and slight smokey notes you’d expect. On the…

  • Viña Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva

    Viña Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva

    Majestic’s new exclusive (at least in the UK) Viña Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva is made by Bodegas Bilbaínas the longest-established bottling winery in Rioja. With a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, all grapes are from Bodegas Bilbaínas’ own vineyards. This is the 2015 vintage and this wine is only produced in exceptional years….

  • C.V.N.E Cune Rioja Reserva

    C.V.N.E Cune Rioja Reserva

    C.V.N.E Cune Rioja Reserva 2019 is a blend of Tempranillo (85%), Garnacha and Mazuelo grapes and has an ABV of 14%. The grapes for Cune Reserva are sourced from the estate’s own vineyards, known as Caballeros, Santo Tomás and Sarnamoros in the prestigious Rioja Alta region. Grapes are aged in a combination of French and…

  • Viña Pomal 106 Barricas

    Viña Pomal 106 Barricas

    Viña Pomal, famously associated with Winston Churchill as his reputed bodega of choice, offers its 106 Barricas Rioja Reserva 2019 as a limited edition tribute. The name ‘106’ pays homage, originally in 2010, to the 106th anniversary of the winery’s first harvest in 1904, with only 50,000 bottles produced for this exclusive edition. The wine…

  • New Rioja Viñedos Singulares Parcels

    New Rioja Viñedos Singulares Parcels

    Rioja Viñedos Singulares is a special designation within the Rioja wine region, introduced in 2017 to recognise and highlight wines from unique, single vineyards. This classification emphasises the distinctiveness of specific vineyard sites and aims to showcase the terroir and unique characteristics of these plots. A Viñedos Singulares vineyard must be at least 35 years…

  • Marques de Los Rios Rioja Gran Reserva

    Marques de Los Rios Rioja Gran Reserva

    I picked this up on a whim mainly because it was on offer and I’m glad I did. Initially, I was slightly concerned because the cashier hit the bottle extremely hard to remove the security tag, seriously damaging the foil. However, my worries went away once I tasted it. This 2014 Rioja, with an ABV…

  • El Duque De Miralta Rioja Reserva

    El Duque De Miralta Rioja Reserva

    This 2019 Rioja Reserva is made by winemaker César Fernández at El Coto. The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from the three prestigious areas of Rioja, Alavesia, Alta and Oriental, ensuring a rich and diverse flavour profile. The wine is aged for 24 months in American oak barrels, which imparts a distinct and inviting aroma of…

  • Marques De Valido Gran Reserva Rioja

    Marques De Valido Gran Reserva Rioja

    The Marques De Valido Gran Reserva Rioja 2014 comes from a family winery operated by a father, son and cousin team. This is a Gran Reserva, which is typically only made in the finest vintages and spends two years maturing in oak barrels followed by another three years in the bottle. This wine has an…

  • Ángeles de Amaren

    Ángeles de Amaren

    The Bodegas Ángeles de Amaren Rioja 2017 is a modern interpretation of Rioja Alavesa, consisting of a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano grapes. I thought I’d try this wine again having previously singled it out at a Rioja tasting, although the vintage I received via retail is 2017, rather than 2019 as was…

  • Co-op Online Rioja Tasting

    Co-op Online Rioja Tasting

    Co-op has introduced an innovative online wine tasting series, granting members exclusive opportunities to engage directly with the winemakers responsible for their own-brand wine range. This initiative is designed to spotlight the exceptional talent behind Co-op’s wine selection and to educate members interested in expanding their wine knowledge. Each session, taking place monthly, will explore…

  • Sainsbury’s CVNE Rioja Gran Reserva

    Sainsbury’s CVNE Rioja Gran Reserva

    The 2016 vintage Gran Reserva, produced for Sainsbury’s by CVNE Winery, is a CVNE variant that stands out even among the winery’s diverse Rioja selections available at Sainsbury’s and other retailers. This particular wine is made from a blend of Tempranillo Graciano, and Mazuelo grapes hand-picked from CVNE’s own premier vineyards and is 14% ABV….

Follow

Did You Know?

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine which represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More