The 2014 vintage in Spain has generally produced decent quality and good volume. In Rioja, however, conditions were challenging: after a cool spring, the summer was dry with warm temperatures, and Rioja looked set for an excellent harvest. But high rainfall and warm temperatures in September and October 2014 provided perfect conditions for fungal disease. Selection was therefore essential to make good wines. Some producers took decisive action: for example, Bodegas Muga invested in a new optical sorter which, though costly, meant only the healthiest grapes were included in the fermentation. is therefore a year to follow producers who were prepared to forego quantity for quality; these are the bodegas we shall follow. A clearer picture will evolve once the malolactic fermentation is completed.

Glorioso Reserva wurde aus traditionellen Produktionsverfahren geboren, die das Ergebnis jahrelanger Erfahrung in der Branche und in der Region sind. Rioja Blanco: white Riojas have changed the most. Viura, malvasia and garnacha blanca are the traditional grapes, producing interesting blends. Today most are made in a neutral, fruity style as the oak-aged whites of yesteryear have diminished in popularity. This is a pity as these long-aged whites were some of the world's most glorious wines. Lopez de Heredia in Haro is one of the few who still make them well.Rioja Alavesa - Bounded in the north by the craggy Sierra de la Cantabria and in the south by the Ebro river, and sitting in the foothills of the former, Rioja Alavesa feels a distinct Atlantic influence on its weather, despite the protection of the mountains. It has twice the rainfall of Rioja Baja to the south-east and enjoys cooler temperatures on average. The classic Rioja mainstay tempranillo is king here and makes up more than 80% of plantings, supported by garnacha, mazuelo (aka carignan elsewhere) and graciano for red wines, and viura, malvasia and garnacha blanca for whites. Chalk and clay soils proliferate. Generally, the wines of Rioja Alavesa are considered the most finely balanced of Rioja reds. The official Rioja classification is a guarantee of the amount of ageing a wine has undergone. Usually the best wines receive the longest maturation but this does not guarantee quality, which is why it is just as important to follow producer. Modern-classical: younger, rounder wines that retain the delicious character of Rioja through cask ageing (often a mix of American and French oak) with the structure to develop in bottle. Bodegas Muga, CVNE, Marqués de Mejia and Contino fall into this category. Gran Reserva: wines are usually made in the best vintages where the fruit quality is rich enough to support two years in oak barrel and three in bottle.

As a result, Rioja has a wonderful variety of styles. The geography of the area is also a contributing factor, spanning a terrain that stretches 75 miles from north-west to south-east resulting in diverse climates, topography and soil types – all of which further influence quality and wine style. Any America Armagnac Australia Bordeaux Brazil Burgundy Canada Champagne Chile Cognac Cyprus Denmark England English Germany Guyana Holland Hungary India Ireland Israel Italy Japan Lebanon loire Madeira Mexico Portugal Puerto Rico Rhone Scotland Sherry South Africa South of France Spain Switzerland Ukraine Wales West Indies Yogoslavia In essence, therefore, a bodega that makes all four styles (not all do) will, at the time of writing, probably be selling 2012 Cosecha, 2011 Crianza, 2009 or 2010 Reserva, and either 2005 or 2006 Gran Reserva.Glorioso Reserva ist ein Rotwein der D.O. La Rioja, hergestellt von dem Weingut Bodegas Palacio, das 1894 von Don Cosme Palacio y Bermejillo gegründet wurde. Dieser Wein ist ein Sortenwein aus Tempranillo, der charakteristischsten Rebsorte der Region. Reserva: wines spend one year in oak barrel and two in bottle. Reserva wines are some of Rioja's finest. Rioja Baja - Most of Rioja Baja is south of the Ebro and further south and east of its neighbouring sub-regions. Summers in Rioja Baja are more often than not very warm and dry, with vineyards at lower elevations than its neighbours. Consequently soils are predominantly silt and other alluvial deposits with little chalk present, and garnacha reigns supreme among the red varieties because of its ability to deal almost effortlessly with the heat. As a rule, reds from Baja are higher in alcohol and less elegant than in Alavesa and Alta, though of course there are always exceptions and particularly so as viticulture and winemaking improves with every passing year.