Olive Jun Olive Pictorial was originally published on 2022-09-27
Regarding food, there is Chinese an old saying "food in Guangzhou"; Around the world, people often say "eat in Spain". Spain faces the sea on three sides, with rolling mountains and a diverse climate. The superior geographical and natural environment has brought rich resources to Spain, whether it is vegetables, melons, seafood and aquatic products, ham and cheese, or Spanish wine, it has an extremely important position in the hearts of foodies all over the world.
Historically, Spain has experienced colonization and outward expansion, introducing multi-layered European colors, colonial food styles and products, and completing a wonderful meeting in Spanish cuisine. This is why Spanish cuisine has broken through limitations, integrated multiculturalism, and led the industry: from the well-known Basque Culinary Center to the Spanish chef Ferran Aria, who has established gorgeous molecular cooking techniques, Spain has led the progress of the world gastronomic industry all the time, and has always "dominated" the global restaurant lists.
Spain is not only trendsetting in the gastronomic industry, Spanish wines are also the brightest stars in the industry. Spain is one of the largest wine producers and exporters, and there is also a region that is important in Spain and even in the world wine map, and it is the highest in Spain in terms of popularity and production and sales - this is DOCa Rioja.
In the global wine consumer market of nearly 300 million, 4 out of 10 people know about Rioja. In the international market for wines of Spanish origin, the market share of Rioja wines is equally impressive, accounting for 34.7% and 41.5% of the total export of wines of Spanish origin, respectively. The total export volume of the Rioja production area is even more than the entire country of Australia, South Africa, Germany, the United States and other countries!
Although wine regions and markets around the world have been affected by many factors during the pandemic, the Rioja region has continued to perform strongly. Rioja wines stand out in the Chinese market, with exports to China growing by triple-digit value in the first half of 2021, up 113%.
With thousands of years of cultivation, Rioja has successfully attracted consumers with its quality, uniqueness and sustainability. It won 576 awards at the 19th Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), and two wines won the most valuable award of the competition, the Best in Show. In the Brussels World Competition, which also enjoys worldwide fame, Rioja won 92 awards out of more than 7,300 wines from nearly 40 countries, ranking first in Spain.
Rioja's success is inseparable from the excellent quality and taste of its wines. The Rioja wine region is blessed with a unique terroir along the banks of the Ebro River, bordered by the Sierra de Cantabria to the north and the Sistema Iberico to the south. Mountains provide a natural barrier to the production area and can also create more complex microclimatic conditions, allowing a wide hinterland that stretches for more than 100 kilometers to be influenced by the continental climate in the south, the Atlantic climate in the north and the Mediterranean climate in the east.
Thanks to three major climatic systems and a varied topography, different grape varieties can find the microclimate they need to grow. These unique terroirs have created more possibilities for viticulture and vinification in Rioja, and also provided winemakers with a rich creative space to create rich and varied styles of Rioja wines:
Unbarreled Rioja white wine with fresh aroma and refreshing taste; barreled Rioja white wine with aromas of roasted pineapple, caramel, honey and hazelnuts; Rioja rosé with fresh red fruit aromas; Aromatic, complex and fascinating aged Rioja white wines; Younger, lively, normal-grade Rioja red grapes that have not been aged in oak barrels; Ageing grade Rioja red wine (Crianza) with balanced fruitiness and oaky notes; At least 36 months of oak barrels and bottles, full-bodied and elegant Reserve Rioja Reserva; Gran Reserva, a full-bodied, silky wine...
The excellent terroir has created a colorful and rich Rioja, which has also made Rioja a well-deserved "purple business card" in Spain. Rioja wines can be found in restaurants and bars anywhere in Spain; Rioja is also a "must-have" on the wine lists of well-known restaurants around the world, and the variety of styles allows Rioja to always have a place at the table. (If you want to know more about Rioja with the eight major Chinese cuisines, you can click here)
Rioja is also a famous wine tourism destination, with 858,000 visitors visiting Rioja's 100 wineries in 2019, a figure that is expected to increase by more than 50% by 2025. The next time you visit Spain, you might want to leave some time for Rioja to enjoy the vast and beautiful natural environment while also feeling the Spanish culture (for more Rioja tours, click here). Stroll along the vineyards, between the church and the winery building, enjoy Spanish food and wine in the authentic Tapas tavern, meet Rioja...
Finally, enjoy the documentary presented by the Rioja appellation: El corazón de la vendimia (Heart of the Harvest). The documentary consists of five episodes, each of which deals with topics related to the Rioja grape harvest: winegrowers, harvesters, winemakers, the Rioja Management Committee, harvest celebrations. The recent Rioja wine harvest coincided. Heart of the Harvest is a great opportunity to get an up-close look at the harvest in the appellation and get a deep taste of Rioja wines!
Spanish Rioja wine, zan 264
Rioja Wine Introduction to the history, culture and knowledge of DOCa Rioja wines. Promotion of Rioja wines. Publish the latest Rioja wine news. 191 original content
Official account
- End -