Driving around Rioja for a couple of weeks has given me the opportunity to see a lot, taste a lot and get a good feel for what is going on. A lot has changed in the 3 years since my last visit to Rioja, just about all of it for the better:
- Wine tourism is a huge focus for both the region and the bodegas. Every second bodega we visited is planing either a hotel, a spa, a restaurant or a new architect designed bodega. There are road signs everywhere now, so its much easier to find those out of the way bodegas and hotels. The guys are doing a great job in making it easier for tourists to come and see what Rioja is all about. This is a big turn around from 3 years ago. However, you need a good deal of Spanish to make the most out of the trip.
- The whole traditional v’s modern thing is a bit of a non event, people are trying to make the best wines that they can, in a style that suits their view of what Rioja is. I talked to a number of winemakers who make very modern wines who go on to priase the very traditional wines of Lopez de Herrida for their unique style, yet say nothing of ’supermarket’ producers who don’t seem to have a style.
- Rioja is changing a lot at the moment and will continue to as the older growers pass their land onto the younger generation. This is leading to very small bodegas that produce a couple of barrels worth of wine a year, where the watch word is quality, not quantity. There are loads of very high quality vineyards that are not being used to their full potential at the moment, so this will only increase as time goes on.
- The quality of the food in the region is very high and is very consistent. Opposed to more touristy regions such as San Sebastian, you can find good food just about anywhere here. New restaurants have popped up all over the place and the quality of the local produce is outstanding (as it always has been). The photo on this page should be enough for most foodies to get on a plane.
- Biodynamics and Organic methods are gaining popularity with the smaller producers, even some of the larger ones are getting in on the act.
- Vintages: 2004 and 2005 are spectacular, but both very different. As a broad brush statement, 2004 is more structured and tannic, 2005 is more elegant with lush fruit and more typical Rioja structure. 2006 is very good as well, just lacking some of the high notes of 04 and 05. 07 and 08 are years to pick by producer. Most of the stuff I tasted from barrel looked very good for both years, however both years were quite good for whites.
- As much as I love drinking and aging the wines of Ribera del Duero, I think Rioja is the most spectacular and livable wine region in Spain (maybe Jerez should get a mention here as well).
- PR and media awareness is really front of mind here. Not that I would really class myself as media, many of the people I talked to regularly read the site (one winemaker took me to task on a review!). This may be an old region, but they are definately onto the new media thing.
Great updates Shag!!
Thanks mate, there is heaps to come…
Dave, first off, I am so pleased to hear that you had such a wonderful trip through Rioja, and who wouldn’t agree that the food culture isn’t outstanding. Definitely, no argument from me there.
However, in terms of your comment that Rioja is on the new media bandwagon, I might suggest that they are leaps and bounds ahead of the majority of Spain, but still far behind the curve in terms of wine producing regions like California. Am I pleased that they read your blog? Absolutely! But as both a wine blogger and online marketer for wineries, I can tell you confidently, that we have a long way to go here in Iberia. But with more quality wine bloggers as yourself touring the region, word will spread with each RSS feed at a time
Look forward to more posts on your trip!
Hey Gabriella,
Sounds like you guys are having fun in London, the SITT tasting sounds excellent. I should have stayed on for it.
I think you are right on this, there is a long way to go and I think that the small producers which are now poping up will lead the way. It is early days yet, and most people will start out using other people’s blogs etc before starting their own or twitter etc. Many of these guys don’t even have a website yet!
However, I think it is all about balance and choosing the right medium to get your products out there. Personally, I think many producers in Spain are miles ahead of those here in Australia (there are exceptions of course). Much of the ‘new media’ here simply replaces the ‘old media’ like for like and that is mainly becuase that is what the consumer is comfortable with. This is changing of course, but it dramatically different to marketing in States.
As you know, Rioja haa a lot of work to do repairing the name in some markets (esp. the UK) and are they are collectively putting loads of work into changing the perception and sell at high value. I met a guy who was buying Rioja wine for under 1 euro a bottle to sell in supermarkets in the UK and US. A good cork costs more, so how good can the wine be? (I tasted it, it was the kind of stuff you give to house guests you want to move on…) No wonder most Brits think Rioja is cheap wine only…
You’ll find this interesting, but at the Vinoteca tasting in London, we had a fair amount of “non wine geeks” attending as well. From their perception, they and their friends have considered Rioja either a grape variety or blend. “Let’s grab a Rioja” is evidently common terminology for “Let’s grab a cheap trendy Spanish red made from the Rioja grape”. I was a little astounded when I heard this, but the same experience was reiterated several times over.
This leads me to believe that Rioja, despite its desire to reach a broader public through its limited use of social media, isn’t nailing its market effectively. And more importantly, isn’t making their message desirable or attractive to a younger wine drinking market, through education using social media.
That said, I don’t know how social media is playing out in Australia, and if you say that Spain is ahead in their efforts, than I’m not as depressed as I normally aim when I feel as if we’re beating our heads against a brick wall
Maybe their is light at the end of the tunnel, and I can only hope that this trend will continue!
I’ve seen that a bit with friends from the UK. We had some non-wine- geek (NWGs) mates from London come out and meet us in Rioja and they were amazed at what a couple of extra pounds (in some cases the same price) will get you if you shop around.
One of my favourite comments from the trip from was: Rioja is as beautiful as Tuscany, why don’t they market that?