How can one distinguish a rioja wine?

As wines fetch high prices on the market, one might suspect the existence of some cases of fraud. The control of Rioja wine is the responsibility of the Appellation of Origin and its Regulating Council. They impose a system of numbered labels placed on the back of the bottles, avoiding the risk of fraud. Nevertheless, it is desirable for the consumer to attain sufficient knowledge to be able to demand optimum quality.

The main characteristics of wine are derived from the types of grapes used, the type of soil and climate; as well as from technical aspects. Therefore, speaking of red Rioja wine, the main characteristic which determines the quality is the red Tempranillo grape.

Below, we offer some notes for tasting red wine from the Rioja, taking into account traditional analytical methods:

• 1. On removing the cork from the bottle, Rioja wine can be consumed immediately, without having to air it, or remove the cork some time before.
• 2. There are no unpleasant or neutral aromas. They are lively and fruity in wines of one to three years old and have a more natural "bouquet" in the case of older wines. These young "fruity" aromas and mature "bouquets" can be combined in wines of two and three years old. The taste of oak is not, and never should be, dominating.
• 3. To the sight, the wine shows a persistent brilliance, no sediment in the bottle, and has a balance between red and yellow tones, definable as ruby red.
• 4. To the palate:
  • Gradual smooth impression or slightly acidic.
  • Smooth impression on the gums.
  • Smooth impression on the tongue or slightly acidic.
  • Very smooth aftertaste, which can be described as velvety.

As the reader will note, these expressions avoid similitudes such as vanilla, leather, roses, etc., and tend to define wines by sensations to sight, smell and taste, and which can be represented graphically on the winetasting card.

In order to identify the white and rosé wines of La Rioja, it is also necessary to refer to the special characteristics of the vines which produce each kind of wine. In the same way that red wine is identified with Tempranillo, white wine is associated with the Viura grape and rosé with Garnacha.

Although La Rioja has been defined as a region which produces red wines of high quality, it should be borne in mind that fine whites and rosés are also produced..

The Viura grape provides a fruity floral aroma, good acidity, pale colour and flavours with a certain "body", without losing the finesse. In other regions, the acidity may be more pronounced and the sensation of "body" less evident.

The difficulties of differentiation are also due to the Rioja producing classical whites with a certain amount of ageing power and about 12° of alcohol, as well as "modern" light and very aromatic whites. In addition, there are producers who ferment the wine in barrel and age on the "lees". In spite of all the variations, Rioja white wine can be distinguished by a slight sensation of sweetness on the palate which corresponds to components of the Viura grape, rather than sugar.

The characteristic which differentiates rosé wine can be judged by the sensation of "body", suggesting the presence of sugar (not shown by analysis), and a very agreeable, fresh aroma as well as an apperance which tends towards an "onion skin" colour.

A new type of rosé wine has now appeared in the Rioja, based on the Tempranillo grape. It is a rosé with a tone which is less red than the traditional rosés, perhaps even a delicate shade of violet, very aromatic and with the typical structure which is a characteristic of Rioja wine.