But of all the region's
crops, wine grapes
are the most significant, both
economically and culturally.
Rioja's 140,000
acres of vines yield
the thirst-quenching
Risata and Jovan wines
that diners want and expect in
the nation's innumerable tapas
bars.
But the other Rioja, the
Reservas, Gran Reservas,
and Alta Expresión or high
expression wines from maverick
winemakers, are
the wines of choice
in the nation's
gastronomic temples.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
I remember when I
started out in the press
interviewing a French
winemaker from Bordeaux,
and asking them about their
thoughts on Californian wines.
Cabernet is coming out
of Napa, et cetera.
And they said that they
thought those wines were quite
interesting, but that the
wines that were giving them
a little bit of concern in
terms of their marketability,
their ability to retain a
share of the marketplace,
were the wines of Spain.
And I could understand that,
given the level of value
that you find
coming out of Spain.
But I dug a little bit
deeper, and essentially I
was told, look, we
have wonderful terroir
here in France.
But what we do not have that
perhaps areas such as Rioja
and other regions of Spain
have is this consistency
from vintage to vintage
of great weather.
Mind you, of course, there
are going to be off vintages.
But there is this
fantastic natural endowment
that regions such as
Rioja have of having
very consistent weather,
having in the Tempranillo grape
a grape which they
are able to harvest,
oftentimes, in
optimal conditions.
And so all of that translates
not only into quality,
but translates into the ability
to present to the market year
in, year out a product
that is consistent,
that they are able
to produce a lot of.
Most people don't realize
that Spain is absolutely
covered in vineyard land.
And that really makes Rioja
a very special category
in the American market,
because it is a great quality
product that's consistent and,
oftentimes, at a very, very
competitive price point.
There are absolutely
great values
to be found in Spanish
wines today, whether it's
Garnacha or Monastrell.
Cava can have-- has
amazing production
and has really lovely, clean,
crisp wines that are very fun.
All of northeastern Spain
is very sophisticated
in its production
of wine, and has
the quantity of
grapes and vineyards
available to produce
some great wines.
Even the central part
of the country does.
But Rioja specifically
produces fantastic wines
with brand names behind
them that offer good value,
whether it's a simple Crianza
or a Jovan wine, which we're
seeing more and more in
the US, white or red,
they're good, crisp,
clean, easy-drinking wines
that can be afforded
by young experimenters
or by people who are just trying
something new with their wine
club.
From the avant-garde
restaurants of Ferran Adria,
Juan Mari Arzak, and
their disciples--
where chefs are pioneering
not just new dishes,
but whole new ways of cooking--
to La Vieja Bodega
in Casalarreina,
whose deep, dim cellar
holds Rioja's history,
to the boisterous
men's dining clubs
of the Basque country,
where men gather regularly
to cook for each other--
in all these places,
Rioja wine is
celebrated by
people who treasure
their time at the table.
Rioja is a place where we have
very good quality of life,
and not only in terms
of gastronomy and wine,
but also the landscape,
the way we live.
Everything is very near.
We don't work with so
much stress, you know?
But gastronomy and wine, if you
eat well and you drink well,
you're always happy.
There's a sentence
in Spanish that we
say, happy heart and a--
and a full stomach.
And if the stomach's full
with good gastronomy,
it's fantastic.
We have also
traditional gastronomy
and modern gastronomy.
You can choose.
And I think it's
fantastic, that everybody
should at least come once
to La Rioja in their lives.
