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The Best Wines From Rioja Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

Words like Reserva and Gran Reserva actually carry little meaning in many places in the winemaking world. Wineries are free to slap the label on a bottle for no other reason than marketing if they please.

The Best Wines From Rioja Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!
In places like Rioja; however, that's definitely not the case. These terms actually carry strict regulations and thus mean something. Specifically, here's what those terms mean in Rioja:

Young wines: Wines in their first or second year.

Crianza wines: Wines which are at least in their third year, having spent a minimum of one year in casks and a few months in the bottle. For white wines, the minimum cask ageing period is 6 months.

Reserva wines: Selected wines of the best vintages that have been aged for a minimum of 3 years, with at least one year in casks. For white wines, the minimum ageing period is 2 years, with at least 6 months in casks.

Gran Reserva wines: Selected wines from exceptional vintages which have spent at least 2 years in oak casks and 3 years in the bottle. For white wines, the minimum ageing period is 4 years, with at least one year in casks.

One other thing you'll notice in these regulations is the amount of time specified for wines to age in bottle. In what's a pretty unique situation in the wine world, Rioja as a whole has decided that they do not want to release their wines until they are ready to drink. This doesn't mean the wines can't age well for a significantly long time after release but it does mean that as a consumer you can be sure that that bottle of Rioja you buy this afternoon is going to taste great at dinner tonight, no additional aging required.

As far as grapes go, Tempranillo is king here but you'll also find plenty of Garnacha along with smaller amounts of Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura and Garnacha Blanca among others.

Read on for our list of The Best Wines From Rioja Under $20!

Vivanco Rioja Reserva – A Work of Art

By: Jon Thorsen Last Updated: October 19, 2016

Vivanco Rioja Reserva - A Work of Art

The Vivanco Rioja Reserva, a beauty inside and outside the bottle. 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from Rioja, Spain. The wine is aged for … [Read more...]

Published: October 20, 2016 Filed Under: Deals, Spain - Rioja, Tempranillo

La Tercera Rioja Reserva – Buy a Boatload!

By: Jon Thorsen Last Updated: November 17, 2016

La Tercera Rioja Reserva - Buy a Boatload!

The La Tercera Rioja Reserva, it doesn't get much better than this 2010 Rioja Reserva for less than 10 bucks! 90% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha … [Read more...]

Published: August 4, 2016 Filed Under: Bulk Buy, Costco, Spain - Rioja, Tempranillo, Thanksgiving

Maetierra Dominum QP Quatro Pagos Reserva Rioja – Quadruply Good

By: Jon Thorsen Last Updated: April 28, 2016

Maetierra Dominum QP Quatro Pagos Reserva Rioja - Quadruply Good

The Maetierra Dominum QP Quatro Pagos Reserva Rioja, made from four distinct estates in Rioja. 87% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano and 4% Garnacha … [Read more...]

Published: April 29, 2016 Filed Under: Deals, Spain - Rioja, Tempranillo

Javier San Pedro Randez Tempranillo – Trader Joe’s Strikes Again

By: Jon Thorsen Last Updated: June 17, 2015

Javier San Pedro Randez Tempranillo - Trader Joe's Strikes Again

BULK BUY!A quality wine from Rioja at a budget price. 100% Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain. The wine is aged for 12 months in new and … [Read more...]

Published: June 18, 2015 Filed Under: Bulk Buy, Spain - Rioja, Tempranillo, Trader Joe's

Vaza Crianza – A Match Made in Heaven

By: Jon Thorsen Last Updated: December 10, 2016

Vaza Crianza 2011 - A Match Made in Heaven

The Tempranillo grape and oak barrels, made to go together.100% Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain. Aged in French and American oak … [Read more...]

Published: April 29, 2015 Filed Under: Highly Recommended, Spain - Rioja, Tempranillo

Vaza Tempranillo – A Winning Bottle

By: Jon Thorsen Last Updated: December 10, 2016

2013-Vaza-Tempranillo

Highly recommended Tempranillo from Rioja for around $10!100% Tempranillo from Rioja Alavesa, Rioja, Spain. Fermented in stainless … [Read more...]

Published: April 24, 2015 Filed Under: Highly Recommended, Spain - Rioja, Tempranillo

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