Drinks: Charlotte's Riojas (and beyond)
Rioja is renowned for its Tempranillo-based wines – internationally popular and refreshingly wallet-friendly compared to other prestigious regions. Here I spotlight top-value reds from Rioja and beyond, highlighting fruity Garnacha and Mencía styles, plus a wine for experimental drinkers.
Bodegas Care Garnacha Nativa 2022 (14.5%), £11, Tesco.
This juicy Garnacha – Spain’s second most planted red grape – is lush with notes of strawberry and sweet cinnamon. It’s silky and playful. Try with poultry, and game with berry sauces.
Specially Selected Rioja Gran Reserva 2017 (13.5%), £9.99, Aldi.
Here’s a bargain Rioja in the under-£10 range with an impressive seven years of bottle age. It’s a complex Gran Reserva style with ripe plum, tobacco and a touch of vanilla on the finish.
Viento de Invierno Mencía 2022 (12.5%), £8.85, Co-op.
From Bierzo, in northwestern Spain, comes this Mencía, crafted from vines aged for 80 years or more. It has vibrant raspberry and green pepper notes, evoking Cabernet Franc wine.
Los Tontos Sabios 2021 (13.5%), £8.99, Waitrose.
This is an intriguing organic ‘field blend’: a mix of grape varieties grown and harvested together on a single plot. From the region of La Mancha, it’s a fragrant sip, with hints of ripe wild berries.
