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Titled The Wine Region of Rioja, this glossy hardcover is colorful and compact, lush and informative. It includes well researched text, gorgeous photographs, quotations from winemakers (and side bars about vintners and chefs) and a segment on pairing wine with food that includes sumptuous recipes—such as tomato tartare with lagoustine and white garlic. The dominant red grape of Rioja is Tempranillo, used to produce both blends and varietal wines. "Rioja wines," writes Fabiano, "are voluptuous; they are round, full and rich."
Chapters cover history and geography (including succinct breakdowns of the seven principal valleys of the region), wine styles and regulations. Two chapters are also dedicated to 'grand old bodegas' as well as newer wineries. The final chapter covers the 'Modern Medley of Rioja: Architecture, Gastronomy, and Wine.'
Below, author Fabiano tells of her own journey to the region, as well as highlights of her book.
“I’m American. From New Jersey. People ask me—what brought you to Rioja? I say democracy. I studied in Madrid. Lived there for three years. I was studying in Spain during the transition to democracy in 1978 through 1982. The country was privatizing and trying to build its economic base for product sectors. They were interested in moving toward supporting those which had economic but also commercial cache. One of those was the wine industry. I was hired by the embassy of Spain’s trade office.
“Rioja accounts for 41% of the total value of exports of Spanish wine, and 31% of all the volume. Rioja altered into a DOC [Denominación de Origen—a wine classification that relates to quality] in 1991, whereby all of their wines have to be bottled at point of origin. That was a turning point.
“Tempranillo composes 80% of all of Rioja vineyards. Rioja is now considered one of the five greatest red wine producing regions in the world. What Tempranillo is to Rioja is what Pinot Noir is to Burgundy, or Nebbiolo is to Barolo.
“On one hand, Rioja is a little bit similar to Bordeaux in that you have blended wines—Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Great classic Riojas were always blended. Now, in the 21st century, we’re finding monovarietals of Tempranillo, which are amazing. In that regard Rioja is almost more akin to Burgundy, in that they have these monovarietals.
“Rioja also has over 118,000 deeded plots of land dispersed into 16,000 deeds of ownership. Again, that’s more of a Burgundian model. All these factors together have created this scenario wherein Tempranillo of Rioja has all the resources to be really supported, to shine, to be optimized at her best.
"Rioja is this tiny place—70 miles long—that, in a relatively large, arid country with 3,000 miles of coastline, is considered landlocked because it is an hour and fifteen minutes from the coast. But the region has incredible biodiversity—36% of all of Spain’s biodiversity is apparent in Rioja. You can travel from Rioja and feel you are in New England and then travel 20 minutes down to Rioja Baja and you’re in these canyons that look like the Grand Canyon, or acres that look like they are from somewhere in Montana.
“With this biodiversity, Tempranillo has had microclimate adaptations that allowed for its expression. Rioja is able to produce young Tempranillo, semi-aged Tempranillo, aged Tempranillo and Tempranillo with aging potential for longevity like grand cru wines.
“That’s the core of it. That’s the deep centerpiece of Rioja—it has this incredible terroir and microclimate and diversity where Tempranillo is very happy.
“Since 2012 in the United States, volume segments of imported Rioja have more than doubled. In 2016 Rioja wines closed the year up 7% in value, while the overall imported wine market was trending at a value of about 1.5%. Even with increases in pricing, Rioja reservas remain probably the greatest value of any wine in that qualitative basis and category in the world.
“The first U.S. wine market for Rioja wines would by New York metro. Second, Florida. Third and fourth would be Texas and California, which have definitely been the fastest growing market and have embraced Rioja quite well in the past few years. Texans drink red wine even though it’s 103 degrees outside. They like their red. But they’re used to very big wine. After that, it’s Illinois, which has old and deep roots with Rioja.
“With that growth, and the rise in direct imports and private labels, the room for fraudulent advertising or fraudulent wines has escalated. Quality control at the point of origin, and monitoring that, is even more paramount now.
“There has been substantial growth in Rioja imports to China in the last years, and as of now China is the 6th country of export for Rioja.
“My favorite food in the world is food from Rioja. One classic—especially at this time of the year as we move into autumn and winter—is patatas Riojanas—potatoes with chorizo. This is also a time for lamb chops grilled over vines, with a little bit of olive oil, salt and garlic added. It’s one of those dishes that is brilliant in simplicity. You add a bit of rosemary and have it with a left bank Alavesa Rioja—which tends to have a bit more herb and spice. Beautiful.
“One thing to love about Rioja is authenticity. You can go to some large wine regions of the world with palatial estates based on aristocracy; ones built on wealth made in real estate, or Hollywood or finance. In Rioja the history and culture are ancient and inculcated in the people. It’s the real deal. You feel that when you are there, which helps make it beautiful to visit.
“Rioja’s Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture is acknowledged, world wide, as the greatest wine museum. It’s in the village of Briones, a beautiful medieval town about 10 minutes south of Haro.
“There is also a selection of architectural wineries included in my book. Some include functional architecture, some are just beautiful. These are not palatial gorgeous buildings, but are all built with sensitivity to the topography of the land. Architecture and wine are similar in that they both involve art and science. To enjoy wine in an architectural winery is an astounding sensorial experience.
"Rioja also has 144 authorized winemaking villages. I would recommend looking at a map and visiting some. The region is very accessible. It’s easy to move around by car.
“Sometimes people don’t have a lot of time, this coveted asset. They ask where to go to try lots of different Riojas. There is one place in the city of Logrono—La Tavina—near the tapas bars on a welcoming corner right in the center. It has a lot of different Riojas in a single place—20 wines by the glass and 600 by the bottle. You want your wine experience to be like a box of chocolate—where you can try different ones and different styles."
To develop a deeper perspective about Rioja and Tempranillo, Fabiano spent countless days and hours researching historical texts at the Enological Station of Haro, which has been operating without interruption for a century and a quarter. Her grasp of the history of the region and its wines is evident. This book is not a flirtation with a distant region, but a work of love for a country the author lived in and continues to explore—intimately.
