Wine Art in France

The Rioja region of Northern Spain has a long, glorious vinicultural history. The region is located in the Rio Ebro valley, with the Sierra de Cantabrias mountains in the north and the Sierra de la Demanda mountains in the south. This geographical setting offers conditions that are perfect for the cultivation of vineyards. These vineyards are grown on about 57,000 hectares of area spread over the communities of Navarra, Basque country and La Rioja, The region produces more than 250 million liters of wine every year.

Types of Rioja Wines
Most Rioja wines are made by a balanced combination of different grape varieties blended in varying proportions. They are original, with an average body and an exceptional bouquet. They also exhibit a lot of aromatic complexity. The three types of Rioja wines are mentioned below:

* Red wines: They are classic wines with bright red color and a fresh, piercing aroma. They have medium alcohol content and taste very light. Tempranillo is the main grape variety used to produce these wines. It is a black grape that provides the full body to the red wines. Tempranillo is commonly blended with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano varieties of grapes, with each grape lending a particular quality to the wine. The main flavor and ageing capability of the wine comes from Tempranillo, with the Garnacha providing alcohol, the Mazuelo giving seasoning flavors and the Graciano lending the aroma.

* Rose wines: These are bright pink in color with a strong fragrance. They also have medium alcohol content and are light and fresh in taste. Garnacha is the main variety of grape utilized to make these wines.

* White wines: These wines look greenish-yellow in color, which might be a little pale. They have fine aromas, low alcohol content and a light taste. Viura is the main grape variety used to produce these wines. It is blended with Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca varieties of grapes. The Viura supplies the fruit flavor and acidity, the Malvasia adds aroma and the Garnacha Blanca provides the full body to the wine.

The Process of Ageing - A distinction of Rioja Wines
Rioja wines are first aged using oak casks having 225 liter capacity. Then they are aged in bottles for some more time. The duration of the ageing procedure might differ between various categories of the wine and can be from one to three years in the casks and six months to six years in the bottles.

The above described lengthy practice of production of Rioja wines involves a lot of hard work. This effort results in a splendid wine which can satisfy even the most astute palette.