Wines
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RIOJA
WINE CLASSIFICATION
Rioja wines are categorized according to the aging process. First are
the young wines in their first or second year Crianza
must be aged at least six months in oak barrels, and then a few months
in bottles. Reserve wines are barrel-aged
for at least one year, plus two years in bottles. Finally, the gran
reserve wines spend two or more years in oak barrels followed
by three years in bottles. Rioja white wines are aged even longer.
Like most Spanish towns, Haro has its share of good restaurants. Most
serve a delightful variety of regional specialties including white asparagus,
peppers, and artichokes cooked with lamb, veal or goat. Local fare is
served at the Asador Pharo, Las Cigüeñas, three Beethoven
restaurants, and my personal favorite, Vegas,-- where the delicate ribs
of the baby lamb chops look like a bird’s and the meat slices
with a fork. For dessert, try the cuajada. Trust me.
When in Spain eat as the Spanish do--late, seldom before 10 p.m. But
the evening meal usually includes savoring a few of the prodigious varieties
of tapas, or small plates of delightful appetizers. Each restaurant
or tapa bar will have dozens of tapa dishes. These are eaten,
more often than not, standing at the bar. A Spaniard does not like to
get too comfortable at one bar, but prefers to visit three or four in
one night.
“We like variety,” explained Marco Mendoza, a member of
a local Peña or club. “Each bar has its own specialties.
You have to try them all or how else will you know what is the best?”
Tapas began centuries ago when inns served a glass of wine
to travelers who were arriving or departing. To keep the flies out of
the wine, a piece of bread was placed on top, tapando, or covering
the wine inside the glass. Legend says these traveler’s offerings
were later spiced up with cheese and ham toppings and called tapas.
In La Rioja, everyone eats slices from the omnipresent Serrano hams
seen hanging in every restaurant. Perfect companion to wine are the
large, succulent, blanched local asparagus or another regional specialty,
meat and pepper sausages. While imported from the coast, the snails
in red sauce--small dark periwinkles, not French escargots – add
an exotic touch.
While lunching alone, I gained an interesting insight into the wine
culture that permeates La Rioja Alta. Although I ordered a glass of
vino tinto or red wine, the waitress brought and uncorked a
bottle. I was not about to drink a whole bottle of wine for lunch. “Glass
or bottle, it’s the same price,” she said. I left with the
remaining wine in a leather bota or canteen.
While much of the local wine might be considered low-priced by American
standards, increasing demand abroad has doubled prices for La Rioja
wines in the last three years, portending an end to this inexpensive
delight.
By
Mail:
Robert Mykle
P.O Box 6296
Lake Worth, FL 33466