Rioja - Spain's Top Wine Producing Region

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Rioja - Rioja (re-OH-hah), in northern Spain, is their top wine producing region. It produces red wines made from Tempranillo (>80%), but Carignan, Garciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Maturana Tinta are also used in red Rioja wines.  Very few white grapes are grown in Rioja but include Chardonnay, Viura, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and Granacha Blanca. These white wines account for less than 10% of Spain’s annual production.

Here are a few facts about Rioja wines:

The controlling board in Rioja, the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja, ensures that the Rioja quality requirements are met.

There are various types of Rioja wines:

“Rioja” is the most basic. It is aged for a matter of months, bottled and sold. It’s bright and fruity with big cherry flavors.

“Crianza” is required to be aged for one year in oak and spend one year in the bottle before being sold.

“Reserva” in Rioja actually means something. A Rioja Reserva is required to be aged for one year in oak and then are not sent to market for three years after vintage.

“Gran Reserva” must spend a minimum of two years in the barrel and two years in the bottle before being sold with a total of five years of aging. This wine is produced from the best grapes and ends up with the best tannin structure.

There are three wine zones in Rioja:

Rioja Alavesa - With rolling hills throughout this region, its wines tend to be similar to those of Rioja Alta with higher levels of tannin and acidity. 

Rioja Alta - With its elevation and cooler temperatures, Rioja Alta wines tend to be more balanced with good tannin and acidity. Sub-regions include:

Iregua Valley - The Iregua River divides Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja. This valley, which lies in both Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja, produces wines of medium acidity and lower tannin due to its warmer temperatures.

Najerilla Valley - This valley has the highest number of acres of vineyard in Rioja. Growing primarily Tempranillo and Garnacha from old vines (some 80 to 100 years), these wines can have smoky hints of tobacco, red fruit flavors and higher levels of tannin and acidity.

Oja Valley - The vineyards of this valley are planted at the highest elevation in Rioja Alta. The wines produced nearest the Oja river are rich, highly aromatic and lower in acidity.  Wineries on the northern side of the valley are more fruit forward with higher acidity and stronger tannin. These wines do well with aging.

Rioja Oriental - Known previously as Rioja Baja (i.e. lower in altitude), the name was changed in 2018 from Rioja Baja. The sub-region forms the largest portion of the Rioja region, and accounts for 40 percent of its wine output.

The Rioja wine production began in the period from 200 BC to the sixth century. In 1901, the phylloxera mite arrived in Rioja, causing wide-spread devastation in the region's vineyards. It was not until the 1970s that the industry once again came back to full production.

So, try some of the wines from the Rioja region of Spain. And, when you raise your glass, say “Salud!” as you will be toasting good health to everyone. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé

2022 Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé ($32)

Flora Springs was founded in 1978, but their legacy dates back to the late 1800s when wine grapes were first planted on the Napa Valley property that is now their estate vineyards.

The Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé grapes are grown in sustainably-farmed vineyards.

This rosé is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot (all red wine grapes) and Vermentino (a white wine grape). The wine is made using a classic technique known as Saignée ("San-yay") or Bleeding. Once the handpicked grapes arrived at the winery, the whole-clusters are pressed, removing the juice from the grape skins quickly in order to preserve freshness and leave the wine with its light color. After fermentation the wine was rested in tanks for seven months with twice-weekly lees stirring prior to bottling.

This Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé is a cherry red color with delicate aromas of strawberry and cherry. On the palate it is light-bodied with medium acidity, with flavors of raspberry and cherry with a touch of sweetness and a great finish. The seven month on-lees has given this rosé a nice smoothness on the mouthfeel that makes this rosé unusually rich.

This Flora Springs Napa Valley Rosé is a new release that’s available from their website. It’s a great value and a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

14.2% Alcohol By Volume

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Flora Springs Winery via Forte Mare

Ever Wonder? Is Montepulciano a Wine Grape or a Wine-Producing Region?

A Montepulciano (mon-ta-pull-channo) wine can be a bit confusing. Typically, the name of the wine either represents the type of grape used to produce the wine or, most commonly in Europe, the place where the grapes are grown.

Montepulciano as you might guess by its name, is an Italian wine. So, you’d probably also guess that it’s from a region or town of Montepulciano, Italy. But, there you’d be wrong.

It is true that Montepulciano is a beautiful medieval town in Tuscany, in central Italy. But, oddly enough, Montepulciano wines are not produced in Montepulciano.

Instead, Montepulciano wines are from Marche, Molise, northern Puglia and most notably, Abruzzo regions of Italy. All of these regions are along the eastern coast of Italy and benefit from the cooling winds off the Adriatic Sea.

So, yes, Montepulciano wines are made of Montepulciano grapes but they have nothing to do with the town Montepulciano.

To make things even more confusing, the wines that are produced in Montepulciano are, like most Tuscan wines, made from the Sangiovese grape.

Montepulciano is the second most planted red grape in Italy. Sangiovese, the grape used to make Chianti, is the most widely planted grape of Italy.

Montepulciano has long held a reputation for being low-priced fruity red wines that go well with pizza and bold tomato-based sauces. This reputation is true. But, there are many producers, especially in Abruzzo, that are making some very well-structured wines displaying notes of cherry, crushed herbs and tobacco.

Although a bit confusing, Montepulciano wines can be quite good and, as the most exported Italian wine to the U.S., it can be very reasonably priced. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Fleurs de Prairie Rosé

2022 Fleurs de Prairie Rosé ($20)

"Fleurs de Prairie" is named in celebration of the free-spirited wildflowers carpeting their vineyards in the South of France. Crafted in South of France style, this wine is made by the family-owned Les Grands Chais de France. Fleurs de Prairie is a Mediterranean combination of sun, wind, mild water stress, and ocean influence that provide ideal conditions for growing grapes.

This rosé is produced from Grenache Noir, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre. The grapes are fermented in 100% stainless steel tanks and fermented separately to achieve the best characteristic of each varietal.

This Fleurs de Prairie is pale salmon in color with delicate aromas of strawberry and peach. On the palate it has delicate flavors of strawberry and candied cherry with refreshing acidity and a hint of tartness.

This Fleurs de Prairie is widely available and quite affordable for a French rosé. These factors make this wonderful rosé a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Alcohol By Volume = 13%, Residual Sugar = 1.1 gm/L, pH = 3.33, Total Acidity = 3.32 gm/L

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits via Forte Mare

Ever Wonder? What is Blanc de Noirs?

Have you ever seen a bottle of sparkling wine that has “Blanc de Noirs” on the label and wondered what it is?

Here are a few facts about Blanc de Noirs:

  • Blanc de Noirs is a term from the Champagne region in France. It is used to refer to champagne produced entirely from black (noir) grapes Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier.

  • Blanc de Noirs means literally 'white of blacks' since the resulting color of this type of Champagne is white.

  • The reason that Blanc de Noirs is white is because the clear juice of the Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier grapes is immediately separated from the black skins of the grapes. If the juice had been left in contact with the skins during fermentation, you’d get a typical red wine color.

  • Blanc de Noirs is different from the majority of champagnes that are made with a traditional blend of white and red grapes, usually Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

  • It is also different from Blanc de Blancs champagne, which is produced from Chardonnay. Other grapes such as Pinot Blanc and Arbane are also permitted to be used, as well as a number of other varieties, but they are less common.

  • Blanc de Noirs champagnes are typically richer, fruiter and more full-bodied than regular Champagne and Blanc de Blancs.

  • Blanc de Noirs sparkling wines are produced in the Champagne region's more southerly vineyards.

  • Blanc de Noir sparkling wines are made in the Champagne region of France using the traditional ‘Methode Champenoise’ where the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle.

  • There is no legal requirement to identify a Champagne made from red grapes as being a Blanc de Noirs - it’s up to the maker to decide if they want to call it Blanc de Noirs or simply Champagne.

So, next time you see Blanc de Noirs you’ll know it’s made entirely from black grapes! Cheers!