Rioja- Still the King of Spanish reds??

Rioja Wines have never been more popular than now. But by the same token... Spain has never been so popular. It seems every second person who comes into the store goes straight for the Spanish section. But why wouldn't they?? They are, after all, producing some of the best full-bodied reds in the world at the moment. But what is so special about Rioja?? Cause i don't know about you... but i never heard of the place until i started drinking wine... And it seems that there are some reds from Toro, or Ribera del Duera that could easily challenge for the crown. Well like other wine producing regions in Spain, their grape of choice is- Tempranillo. Now Tempranillo may go by other names like Tinta Fino in Ribera Del Duero, or Tinta de Toro in the Toro region- but at their heart they're all still Tempranillo! So the same grape... the same country... what's the point? Well like anything with wine- it comes down to the little things. And region affects the Grapes in so so so many ways.

So lets look at the contenders to the crown before we go any further.

Eternum Viti- Toro- €14.95

First of we have the Eternum Viti from the Toro region in Spain. Toro follows the flow of Duera river (which turns into the duoro river in portugal, which is home to some incredile portuguesse red wines) and is located right beside a great white wine region (what few of them there are in Spain) called Rueda. But here in the Toro region the grapes are realtively early ripening and are known for being thich skinned and potent- which means they are noted for their colour, strength, and jammy flavours.

Neo Sentido- Ribera del Duero €19.95 (but currently 20%off - €15.96)

Located to the east of the Toro region, but still on the Duero river, Ribera del Duero is well accustomed to the Tempranillo grape. It accounts for 95% of their overall grape production. So when it comes down to it... they know what they're at! You can expect wine from this region to be bold, yet structured, with a good body, and powerful fruit flavours that intermingle perfectly with oak.

Hazana Reserva- Rioja- €17.95

So defending the honour Rioja i have picked the Hazana Reserva. I could have picked the Hazana Reserva especial which recently won 2nd place in the food & Wine magazine's list of top wines over €15. But this usually retails around €24.95 and i figured we may as well keep everything fair, so i went for a Rioja in the same price bracket as the other 2. Rioja is divided into 3 sub-regions, and Rioja is different from the other 2 regions because it allows the inclusion of other grapes into its wines. BUUUTTT this Rioja is 100%Tempranillo. Rioja reds are characterised by being very balanced in their alcohol content, by having a body and structure offset perfectly by a gentle and elegant flavour, and by being generally fruity in nature when young and more velvety when aged.

Now i'm not going to tell you which wine i think should be seen as the real King of Spanish reds... instead i'm going to leave it to you! Becasue as some of you may know and others not, this Sunday we are having our Christmas Wine fair in the G- Hotel! We'll have over a 100 different wines from all over the world for you to try, and all the money will be going to a good cause! So what I'm suggesting is these 3 wines will be there at it- and are defiantly worth a try!! but more importantly it will be up to ye to decide which one id the king of Spanish reds! Hope to see ye there!

Eternum Viti- Now officially the best value!!!

Eternum Viti- €14-95
Now we are not ones to say "we told you so"... but to be fair... we've been telling ye for ages about how good this wine is!! But now its finally got the recognition it deserves!! And i know it got a score of 90 points of the messiah of wine Robert Parker- but now the wine makers of Eternum Viti have something new to put on their cv!! It has just been announced that it is the best wine for under €15 available in Ireland by Ireland's Food & Wine magazine!! The wine is 100% Tempranillo and is grown in the Toro region in spain. Toro only received a official DO status in 1987- but is certainly asserting itself as one of spains best wine regions and is best known for its bold red wines! In fact the Toro wines are so robust and strong that apparently Christopher Columbas loaded up the pinta half full with toro wines becasue they had the body and structure to last long journeys! Now i'm not suggesting you load up a ship with Eternum Viti and head of to try and discover a new country, but it is a great wine! And whats truly amazing about this wine is that it still has a lot more to give!! If you drink this now you will need to give it some time to breathe, becasue it is big and powerful- but also becasue it is still realtively young!! So young in fact that it should keep drinking very well until 2020! I've tried this wine twice, and both times i couldn't have been more pleasantly suprised! And it is definatly one to enjoy over the coming years!!

There is more to Spain than Rioja.

Its amazing to see we’ve taken to the hot weather like a fish to water everywhere I looked last weekend people we either loading up and heading to the beach or preparing for the new great love of the Irish people the barbeque. And who could blame us after the terrible summer last year when most barbequing was done inside the door of the shed watching the rain teeming down. Now we all know a lovely Aussie shiraz goes lovely with the Barbeque, and Rioja provides a great alternative, but I began to wonder this weekend about great Spainish alternatives to Rioja.

The other wine producing areas in Spain, Toro, Bierzo and Ribera del Duero have been leading the charge in the challenge to Riojas supremacy. And this competition that can only mean good news for you and me. In the last few years these regions have really come into their own and out from the shadow of Rioja and are now producing wines to equal some of their more well known Rioja Rivals. I have put together a list, below, of three alternative Spanish reds all around the price of a good Rioja Crianza. If you love Rioja, but are looking for something different try these and let us know what you think.

Obra Roble, Ribera Del Duero

This fantastic red is from Ribera del Duero, by far the and away the leader of the pack in regions chasing Rioja, has inviting dark and red fruit aromas on the nose with an interesting floral hint. The palate has sumptuous red fruit flavours and a touch of chocolate leading to a long lasting finish. This is an absolutely great wine to have with cooked red meat of any kind.

Eternum Viti, Toro

What can I say about this wine, once you try it you’ll wonder what life was like with out it. 100% Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo) from Spain’s up and coming region in the north west, Toro. The world renowned wine critic Robert Parker gave this wine 90 points recently. And its no wonder, once you try this dark inky wine, with its alluring nose of toasty oak, black fruits, tobacco and leather. The palate has huge black fruit flavours that is smooth and sweet. What a wine! Just try it with steak.

Motivo, Bierzo

From another up and coming region in North West Spain, Bierzo This is a fantastic everyday drinking red has an interesting nose of dried coffee grounds with nutty hints. It has an soft mouthfeel violets and gentle fruits, and good balanced acidity a lovely finish.

It not just all about Rioja anymore.