Rioja is famous for its oak-aged wines, but there is not one universal approach. There’s American oak, French oak, small barrels, large barrels, new oak, used oak, aged for different periods of time, and sometimes used in conjunction with stainless steel, concrete, or cement. How a producer uses oak defines their house style, and highlights the diversity of the wines of Rioja.

Rioja is the most famous wine region in Spain, yet its regional differences are not fully understood. It covers multiple provinces and there are many local variants in the growing conditions: rivers, valleys, elevation. But it’s been difficult to explain properly the regional differences within Rioja: that’s slowly changing.

Rioja is best known for its red wines, but until 1975 the majority of wine made in the region was white. There’s a small revival in white wine across the region in a range of styles: young and fresh to aged and oxidative. Viura is the main white grape, but there’s also the historic Maturana Blanca and the recently discovered mutation, Tempranillo Blanco. A lot of exciting wine to explore!

Rioja is one of Spain’s most historic regions, steeped in tradition. But a recent visit showed that Rioja is slowly changing, as producers place greater emphasis on expressing terroir. There’s plenty of debate on how best to do this—Rioja is a more contradictory and dynamic region that its reputation perhaps suggests.