Headline Heroes: The modern face of Rioja in UK retail

Gone are those days when buying Rioja meant choosing between crianza, reserva or gran reserva – designations that indicated how long the wine had been aged, usually in oak, with the price rising accordingly. Although old style, heavily oaked Riojas are still made, producers are more focused on expressing terroir and increasingly inclined to make wines that show fruit and freshness, using authorised varieties like Garnacha and Graciano alongside Tempranillo. At the same time, almost all producers are making rosado and white wines.