October is “Shop Rioja” month here at TGWS.
Welcome to a month of immersion therapy in Spain’s most successful liquid export….
My own Rioja Initiation, long ago, was a glass of 1964 La Rioja Alta Reserva 904. It was the first wine I remember properly, the first Rioja I’d ever tried, and I had no idea of its value or quality. It was unsurprisingly, delicious … but like giving someone a glass of ‘82 Cheval Blanc as their first taste of Bordeaux. Quite a benchmark - but guaranteed to screw up all future expectations.
Then in 2017 Rioja’s governing body, the Consejo Regulador, invited me to spend a grueling week there qualifying as a Rioja Educator. Barely recovered from 5 days of back-to-back tastings in some seriously stellar cellars, seminars, endless chats with wonderful winemakers, vineyard hikes and wonderful food, I made it back to the UK as a fully-fledged Rioja missionary. I’ve not recovered. I have absolutely no wish to.
Here’s what you can expect to find in our shops this month …………
Our fantastic range of Rioja in Classic and Modern styles - bolstered this month with a couple of nifty additions:
Bodegas Ostatu’s Rioja Blanco Joven - a deliciously refreshing young, white Rioja made from Viura with a dash of fruity Malvasia. It’s an un-oaked, easy-drinking, modern white from the uber trendy Alavesa region in the north of Rioja.
Bodega Urbina Selección 2006 - we’re already major fans of Bodegas Urbina’s fine, aged, classical Rioja but we just couldn’t resist adding this 2006 - but for this month only so grab one while you can! As with all Urbina wines it’s only released when considered absolutely good to go. It’s a wine in a truly happy place - beautifully mature and developed but with rich fruit and a beguilingly silky, almost velvety texture, typical of the best classical styles. It’s sumptuous. If this proves to be your first taste of “old school Rioja”, it’s unlikely to be your last……
2 specially selected 6 bottle cases celebrating Shop Rioja Month
A “Meet Rioja” case designed to give you an introduction to the region’s diverse styles.
A “Rioja Indulgence” case including older Reservas and Gran Reservas and a modern oaked white.
Full details of each case are on the website. Each comes complete with tasting notes and an illustrated guide to the region. Available online or in the shops
