Hello.

Everyone talks about the wine that changed their life. The one that ignited a passion in them to discover more. For me, that wine was a Rioja Gran Reserva, or more specifically, La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904.

After my first sip, I needed to learn more.

What was a Rioja? Was that the grape varietal? What made it a “gran reserva”? How did it get such depth and balance?

As I searched for the answer, I learned that Rioja was actually a region in Northern Spain where the grapes were grown, fermented, and bottled made primarily with Tempranillo grapes. The Rioja region labels all of their wines with a quality distinction ranging from Rioja (formerly Joven) to Gran Reserva. The Gran Reserva distinction meant that the wine was aged for a minimum of two years in oak barrels and at least three years in the bottle. This extra oak and bottle aging balanced the wine and gave it aromas and flavors that can only be found through age.

I was instantly hooked. If there was so much to learn about one glass of wine, how much more was there to explore?

I now hold a Level 3 Award in Wines from Wine & Spirits Education Trust, and I am currently pursuing Wine Scholars Guild’s Italian Wine Scholar certification.

I started the Wine Don’t We blog to share my passion for wine, and all the fun facts I’ve learned along the way with the hope that it will inspire you on your wine journey.

Cheers!

-Em