Why we should all be drinking more young Rioja reds

And five recommendations to get you started

Lots of young red wines being drunk in Logroño

Back in 2021 I wrote an article for Drinks International magazine telling everyone they should be drinking more Rioja. Not just any old Rioja — I wanted people to drink the region’s carbonically macerated reds. Young wines fermented in a way that results in a lighter, fresher style of wine.

I’d been living in Logroño, Rioja’s capital, for about four months by that point and had become obsessed with drinking these fresh young reds that saturated the city’s tapas bars. Every bar will have at least one and back then, they’d not cost you much more than a Euro a glass.

That was four years ago, but little changes in these parts. Last week, I returned to Logroño for a vacation with family, catch up with old friends and to spend time in one of my favourite places in the world. The pincho bars were still full of maceración carbónica reds (often simply referred to as joven or tinto fresco in these parts). And yes, I drank more of them than anything else.

Turns out I don’t change much either.

And neither does the wider wine drinking public. Many people still consider Rioja a heavy, oaky red wine, classified more by time ageing in barrel and bottle than vineyard or sub-region. Some may know about the “new wave” of Rioja, a band of quality-and-terroir-driven winemakers doing excellent things with excellent vineyard parcels.

But young, carbonically macerated red Rioja? You still don’t see much of them outside the region. As Iker Martínez Pangua of Altún winery said to me back when I wrote that article:

(Carbonic maceration) is more of a local wine since a destemmed, classic Rioja is more understood throughout the world.

And local it is. The number of winemakers working within this style is barely in double digits. Most are in the Alavesa subregion — the Basque part of Rioja. This is not a large place, just 15 by 25 miles.

A lot of it is drunk locally too.

One of my most hated clichés in wine is “they keep the good stuff for themselves” as if the best winemakers would never export their wine in some romantic notion to keep it for locals.

It is, of course, not true. Capitalism exists, thus winemakers want to sell their wine. Not to mention the accolade of selling their wine in important wine drinking markets like the US, UK, Japan, etc.

But when it comes to carbonically macerated Rioja, there may be a grain of truth in the cliché.

It’s not particularly easy to find elsewhere. But it is possible.

If this is your first time encountering the phrase carbonic maceration, this is your simplified, three-sentence definition. Carbonic maceration (CM) is a winemaking process used in red wines. In a traditional fermentation, grapes are ripped from their stems then crushed, in CM, whole grape bunches are carefully placed in a tank which is topped up with carbon dioxide and sealed. This anaerobic environment causes fermentation to start within the berries themselves, which results in a lighter, less tannic, brighter style of red wine.

Beaujolais is the most famous region for making carbonically macerated wine but you’ll find it across the wine world. The natural wine movement has especially taken it under its wing, which is no surprise, seeing as natural red wines tend to lean towards the lighter, fresher style.

CM has its detractors, especially amongst those who believe wine has to be “serious” to be good.

I am not one of those people. First, CM wines can be both complex and interesting, and that is a hill I will die on.

Second, I believe that drinking wine should be about enjoying yourself, and if nothing else, CM wines are incredibly joyful. They have long been a favourite of mine, so much so that — if things go to plan — I may be making some of my own here in Portugal later this year.

When it comes to Rioja, they are also incredibly good value. In Bar Soriano — a pincho bar specialising in mushrooms doused in garlic oil and arguably the most famous place in Logroño — you can buy a glass of organically made CM red for €1.10 a glass.

Even in the US, you’re unlikely to find a carbonically macerated Rioja for more than $20 in a wine store. Often less than $15.

They’re also the sort of wine that can satisfy almost anyone’s taste. As a wine pro who cut their wine-stained teeth on the UK’s natural wine scene, I’m all over light reds, so I love CM Riojas because they are fresh, more vibrant than their oakier counterparts.

But I also watched my Malbec / Cabernet Sauvignon / Amarone-loving father-in-law guzzle them down in Logroño last week. He even asked us to point him toward “those nice young red wines” in a wine shop to take home.

When he saw the prices, he bought cases.

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I’ve put together a list of my favourite carbonically macerated red Riojas for paid subscribers. Most of them are available outside Spain, but some you will have to travel to Rioja to try. Perhaps I’ll see you down Logroño’s famous pincho street Calle Laurel before long.

As a reminder, you can get full access to The Sauce for $5 a month or $50 a year. That includes in-depth travel guides, pantry-driven recipes, wine recommendations and op-eds on everything from Meghan Markle to the battle for chicken’s souls.

For more on Rioja, I highly recommend reading my friend

Ruth Spivey

:

I can't stop drinking

And

Jason Wilson

:

Can We Talk About Joy In Wine?

And if you plan to experience Rioja for yourself, my guide might help:

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Five carbonically macerated Rioja recommendations