RAISE A GLASS

I bet many of you love a glass of Rioja. A bold red wine, punctuated with aromas of vanilla, fresh red berries, and maybe some dried fruits.

It’s the perfect season to sip one with charcoal-edged burgers and lamb chops.

The Rioja wine region isn’t just about reds; there are other styles to explore. Sales of white and rosado Rioja wines in the UK are growing and these wines now account for just over 11% of Rioja sales.

The winemaking rules around sparkling wines have also changed, so producers can make wines with the stamp of approval “Espumosos de Calidad de Rioja”.

These wines must be made in the traditional method (like champagne or cava) and aged for at least 15 months.

Would you like some Rioja choices? Let’s start with a rosado:

Viña Real Rioja Rosado (£12.34, online, Easy Wine Shop) is a pretty pink colour but not as deep as some rosado wines from Spain can be.

The other grapes in this fresh, vibrant pink are viura and garnacha. The wine flirts with red fruits and stone fruits (apricot and peach) are the shoutier and more playful palate pleasers.

A white wine: El Coto 875m Finca Carbonera Rioja Chardonnay (£18.95, online at Vinotopia Wine) is a white with lots of personality.

The grapes grow at 875m altitude (the clue is in the name) which helps the final wine stay fresh with a good burst of acidity.

The chardonnay is fermented in new oak, and when that scientific magic is done, lees stirring takes place making a wine with notes of dried apple, green apple skins, vanilla and tropical fruit (think toasted pineapple).

It has a soft, buttery mouthfeel. Sparkling: Fincas de Azabache Espumoso de Calidad (£19.99, online at The Naked Grape) is one

of the newish-style traditional sparkling wines, crafted from 100% tempranillo blanco. It has a deeper lemon colour than most whites which hints at the wine making craft within.

The fizz has aromas of apple crumble and the caramel sticky bit round the edges; plus lemon, pineapple and apricot.

The bubbles are excited to see me (I’m looking at them now). The fruit flavours aren’t as giving as the nosedip of aromas but I’m happy. I’m very happy.

Olé to wines from Rioja.

Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.