Rioja Wines
As a region, Rioja embraces the very best of the old and the new. Traditional bodegas still produce wines with the elegance and complexity - matured for many years in oak barrels for added grace and complexity and labelled accordingly to a strict set of guidelines, wines such as Marques de Murrieta's Castillo Ygay's Gran Reserva Especial and López de Heredía's Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva have graced the lists of top restaurants for half a century or more.
Tempranillo tends to rule the roost when it comes to red grapes in Rioja with Garnacha, Carignan and Graciano playing significant supporting roles. When it comes to whites, there are some small plantings of international varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but more often than not, the wines are based on a blend of Viura, Malvasia and Tempranillo Blanco.