Everything you need to know about The Rioja Route

Hola, autumn: time to hunker down in your casa and curl up on the sofa with a robust glass of red in-hand beside a roaring fire. The perfect backdrop for your next big box-set binge. 

But what’s your usual tipple this time of year? Maybe, like us, you favour something fruity, oaky and devilishly spicy. In which case you probably reach for a glass of Rioja, one of Spain’s most celebrated exports.

Rioja – the famous wine region in northern Spain – offers so much more than just Crianza and Reserva, as much as we love them. In fact, it’s one of the most rich and diverse wine regions on earth, meaning there are plenty of different bottles with unique flavour profiles to tickle your tastebuds this season.

And this autumn you’ll be able to sample everything the region has to offer – without having to leave London – thanks to a brand new, month-long dining experience arriving in the capital for the month of October. Welcome to The Rioja Route. Think of it as the ultimate celebration of the region’s famous rich, fresh and fruity reds … alongside whites, rosés and even sparkling.. 

Sound exciting? To get you in the mood for a tipple or two, here, we pore over everything that makes this part of Spain and its wines so lipsmackingly good – and reveal why you need to join the city-wide festivities. Salud! 

Rioja is deliciously diverse 
Located in northern Spain and spanning 100km from east to west, Rioja is a veritable patchwork of diverse climates and landscapes that mean it serves up a delicious variety of wines. It’s no wonder it’s nicknamed ‘the land of a thousand wines’. From red and white to rosé and even sparkling, earthy and structured to citrussy and creamy, the sheer range of sips coming out of this neck of the woods – and, indeed, its 600 wineries – means there’s truly something for every palate. 

The Tempranillo grape plays a starring role in red Rioja – with support acts in the likes of Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano – while Viura is the star of white wines alongside Tempranillo Blanco, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía. And there’s plenty more to explore: Rioja has 14 authorised grape varieties in total – five red and nine white – giving the region’s wines a surprisingly broad supporting cast.

You might be familiar with Crianzas and Reservas, which you’ll spot often on restaurant menus and wine merchants. Gran Reserva? The big daddy of them all, aged for at least five years, with a minimum of two in oak and two in bottle to boast those earthy, dried fruit flavours. But Rioja is not all about aged bottles with its everyday wines often serving up fresh and fruity flavours for everyday drinking.

Rioja is so food-friendly 
Because of the variety out there, Rioja wines pair with a plate of almost anything, from tapas and seafood to cheese and steaks. Slow-cooked, roasted lamb? It’s a no-brainer, quite frankly. Paella? It’d be rude not to, of course. 

As a general rule of thumb, think tomato-based pizzas and pastas with red Riojas, alongside grilled meats, earthy seafood dishes and slow-cooked stews, cured meats and cheeses. White Riojas? They sing with salads and seafood – while rich, creamy aged whites go best with hearty fish like turbot and scallops – as well as mushrooms and chicken. Rosado AKA rosé Riojas? A crowd-pleasing all-rounder, you’ll be pleased to hear: fresh enough for salads and seafoods but with enough fruit and body for pretty much everything else. The same goes for sparkling Riojas – great with everything from oysters to ham to chocolate.

Rioja is landing in London
If all this is making you rather thirsty, you’re in luck. Throughout the month of October, The Rioja Route – a celebration of the region and its wines – is touching down in London, meaning you can journey through its wineries, varieties, flavours and pairings without stepping foot outside of the capital. 

Part of Rioja Wine Month, the event will see leading restaurants across London serve up a spectacular number of Rioja wines by the glass, special food and wine pairings that showcase the versatility of the region, exclusive ticketed dinners and an impressive programme of tasting events and wine flights. 

There’s something for every taste and budget, too, from the ‘dish of the week’ teamed with Rioja wines at Michelin-starred Arros QD in Fitzrovia to the tasting evening on October 14 at Mayfair’s El Pirata and at Sabor in the same neck of the woods on October 19. There’s also a wine flight spanning all varieties at Camino’s four restaurants in Farringdon, Monument, King’s Cross and Shoreditch, and a special Rioja-themed dinner at Maresco in Soho on October 20. 

Find out more about The Rioja Route and the restaurants taking part this October