Rioja is one of the great wine regions of the world, up there with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo. Yet, unlike these other big names, you’ll find a remarkable number of Riojas on sale in the supermarkets at under £10. Setting aside this category of cheap wines, where is good value in Rioja? What are the smart buys now, and where are the likely prospects for the future? In researching this article I spoke to sommeliers, restaurant managers, independent retailers, wine buyers and Masters of Wine. They all agreed that Rioja sells itself too cheaply. Take a look at our Vintage Spotlight (p28) and you will see what I – and they – mean. Glorious wines, lovely maturity, but underpriced compared to their international peers. Value for me is all about quality, not about low prices. So where is the real value? Here are my six steps to heaven...
1. The fine reservas and gran reservas are still a safe bet
The consensus among the experts I spoke to was that Rioja’s fine reservas and gran reservas offer real value. I wondered if this article was going to be very short indeed! Diana Rollan, group head of beverage at bar and restaurant group D&D London, puts it clearly: ‘The reserva and
