Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002 | 8:28 a.m.
Rioja is the leading wine-producing region of Spain, producing predominantly red wines. It's no secret among wine cognoscenti that Spain is now making some of the best dollar-for-dollar wines in the world, and the huge bodega (winery) Marques de Riscal is a top label from the Rioja region.
To be labeled a reserve wine, as this one is, a wine in Spain has to spend at least one year in oak fermentation. As a result, rioja reservas tend to have notes of vanilla, and lots of lush, ripe fruit.
This is a powerfully concentrated wine made from the tempranillo grape, that will stand up to almost any meat or game. Drink it now, or in the next two years.
Available at Wild Oats Markets, $16.99.
-- Max Jacobson
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