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Vega del Rio
Taste this wine star from Spain’s most exalted wine region. Vega del Rio is a classic Rioja offered in three styles. From young wine to oak aged Crianza (15 months) these wines come from Rioja’s esteemed Alta sub-region.
Varieties
Rioja (Tempranillo 85%, Garnacha 10%, Mazuelo 5%)
Rioja Crianza (aged 1 yr) (Tempranillo 85%, Garnacha 15%)
Size
750ml
Grape Source
Rioja Alta DOCa, Spain
Rioja, Spain
Awards
Rioja 2003
One of "Top 4 New Wines to Watch and Taste," 4-corks "Very Good" Midwest Wine Connection 8/05
82 points Wine Enthusiast 2/06
Rioja Crianza 2002
Bronze Medal American Wine Society 2005
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Vega del Rio
Rioja is Spain’s most revered wine growing area, the "Bordeaux of Spain." Like Bordeaux, Rioja is extolled for its tradition of blending indigenous red varietals into succulent, terroir-driven wines.
Characteristics
Rioja: With a brilliant ruby color and a hint of purple, this young fruity wine explodes with luscious cherries and raspberries, tempered by soft tannins from the small percentage of Mazuelo grapes blended in the wine.
Rioja Crianza: Garnet colored and medium-bodied, due in part to the addition of Garnacha, or Grenache (15%), this traditional Crianza offers aromas of violets and dark berries enhanced by toasted wood notes from oak aging (15 months). Elegant, with silky tannins, and a smooth, lingering finish.
Food Pairings
From the lively young Joven to the variedly aged Crianza and Reserva, there is a Vega del Rio wine to match nearly every meal. Most noted for their ripe fruit flavors, all are the perfect complement to Spanish dishes and tapas.
Rioja: The young wine`s relatively light body makes it versatile to match a variety of salads, white cheeses like Manchego, as well as roasted and grilled white meats.
Rioja Crianza: The rich aging of this aged wine particularly complements hearty red meat and game, Serrano ham, as well as strong cheeses, pates, and pastas.
Wine Growing Conditions
With wine dating back to 1560, Rioja is steeped in a history that includes a background of Roman rule and Bordeaux wine making influences.
Rioja’s proximity to the Bay of Biscay enjoys Atlantic and Mediterranean influences for a meteorological balance of moderate temperature and regular rainfall. Rioja’s westernmost sub-region, Rioja Alta, is situated among the rolling hills of the west valley of the river Ebro, and is known as one of its most prestigious areas. It is here that Tempranillo grapes for Vega del Rio are grown in the region’s characteristic chalky soil among old, legendary bodegas.
Vega del Rio is produced on Navajas, a family bodega based in Navarrete, in the centre of the D.O. Rioja 10 miles from Logrono, Rioja’s capital. It was founded in 1918.
Rioja, and Vega del Rio, carry Spain’s highest appellation of Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa) to brand its fame for carrying Spain’s finest, most elegant wines. |