Meeting the Maker (Rioja)

I run a wine business importing wines from small producers in Europe. The journey started in France a couple of years ago, selecting the best grower-producers I could find in the key winegrowing regions. My criteria are pretty straightforward – excellent examples of their region and grape variety, good value for money, small production. After some success meeting talented winemakers and forming business relationships my customers were starting to mutter about a lack of Rioja. Always a popular wine in the UK, the region has undergone significant investment and modernisation in recent years and I wanted to seek out an exclusive Spanish supplier for my list.


Undaunted by my lack of Spanish, I invested in some audio CDs in preparation for the trip. Next came the research. Delving through wine encyclopaedias is necessary in unfamiliar territory. I knew I would be out of my comfort zone so I did some reading and absorbed as much information about the region as I could and lined up appointments with prospective supliers. The final part of my due diligence was to compare Rioja wines from other wine merchants to get my eye in.


I landed in Bilbao and jumped in the hire car (a nice mini) and headed off in the direction of Rioja. Within the hour the countryside began to take on the familiar features of wine country. Most vine growing regions are very attractive and Rioja is no exception. A large verdant plain with gently rolling hills, narrow lanes disappearing into the vines, and clouds gathering above a dramatic shelf of rock that provides a stunning backdrop to the scene. The main road though the region is straight and recently surfaced. Along the way you can’t miss the modern architect designed buildings of the bigger wineries – evidence of that huge investment. In the distance I spotted my destination – a walled town called Laguardia on a hilltop. A pocket sized gem, it’s about 500m long with the entire town enclosed within the thick stone walls.

The streets are narrow and cobbled and a relaxed vibe pervades with little to do except stroll around, look at the church, eat and drink. By midday I was seated outside a restaurant in the sunshine with a plate of local cheeses and cured meats and a chilled glass of the local Joven (a young un-oaked red). The local produce is fantastic. The Chorizo is fresh, bright paprika-red, spicy with a soft chewy texture. The manchego cheese is crumbly and moist with an enjoyable crunchiness - like top quality parmesan. The Spanish take as much pride in their produce as anywhere else I have travelled in Europe. They also take their socialising very seriously indeed and after sunset the locals begin the customary procession from one tapas bar to the next, chatting loudly and enjoying life. The town is authentically Spanish with little evidence of tourist trade. There are only a couple of hotels and one very good restaurant that attracts food lovers from far and wide.


Finding wine suppliers inevitably requires a fair bit of sampling with lots of variation in quality. The one constant is the warm welcome and the sense of pride each maker exudes. A wine grower-producer is a curious combination of farmer, craftsman and artist. They work the land and rely on the weather like any farmer but they must also use their knowledge and skill to create a high quality product that is stable and undergoes the right chemical processes at the right time. Finally they must impart an individual style to their wine that sets it apart from others and becomes a substance of pleasure. This is a broad set of challenges and it’s impossible not to admire those who get it right.


I arrived at Pago de Larrea in Elciego a short drive from Laguardia around midday. Luis Larrea met me outside the winery and suggested we went to see his vines. His family owns a single vineyard of approximately 16 hectares. It is set in a picturesque valley on a gentle slope with the vines bordering the banks of the river Ebro. Truly this is prime vine growing soil. His father had enjoyed success in a bigger winery and sold out to start a family business. Year on year he acquired adjoining parcels of this lovely terroir and now the entire production comes from this single vineyard. Back at the modern winery I met the rest of the family as we sampled all 4 wines (3 reds and a white) over bread, paté and cheese. Each of the wines was instantly pleasing in a subtle way that suggests a depth of quality and confidence. A tour of the wine making facilities and cask storage convinced me about their quality control. Luis and his family are an extraordinarily polite and friendly bunch. And when they asked me to stay for lunch I had no hesitation in accepting.


By coincidence they had invited around 20 of their private customers for a friendly gathering and long lunch that same day so I spent the next few hours mingling with northern Spain’s wine lovers and eating delicious traditional dishes that were served to complement the range of wines. I eventually made my exit into the baking heat of the afternoon and felt drawn back to the lovely vineyard. I walked along the lower edge and soon found a narrow path leading away from the vines and directly to the gravel banks of the river. Content, I swam in the river and rested on the banks looking at the vines. I decided to add Luis to my supplier list.

Available in the UK from Hedonist Wines

Where to eat in wine regions (Saint-Emilion)

When visiting wine regions I am frequently struck by the simple quality of the food that is served in the local restaurants. I guess it is no surprise that in a region inhabited by proud winemakers the restaurant owners demonstrate a similar passion for food. After all, the enjoyment of fine wine can only be enhanced by good food.

In the heart of wine regions the menus seem to defer to the wine lists, which is uncommon elsewhere. When the wine is centre stage this can lead to a pleasing simplicity of dishes that are designed to complement rather than dominate.

The trick, as always is to follow the locals. I find out where the winemakers eat and go there. Here is where I recommend you eat, should you find yourselves in Saint-Emilion in France:

L’Envers du Décor

Saint-Emilion produces world class wine and also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. So it’s a pretty good place to visit if you like wine, and beautiful places. Set into the hillside overlooking the Dordogne floodplain the town is arranged over several tiers. Follow a series of stone steps up through the middle of the town and eventually you will arrive at the L’Envers du Décor restaurant.

It has an unassuming exterior, looking more like a bar. The inside is relaxed-cool with tables veneered with the sides of wooden wine boxes bearing the famous crests of the local chateaux. A narrow side alley leads to a beautiful walled courtyard where diners spill out on warm days.

I ate inside where the atmosphere was vibrant and pleasantly French. Fortunately I ordered before the rush – the restaurant soon filled up with large family groups, couples enjoying a romantic lunch, and winemakers talking business together.

The menu du jour is the most reasonably priced option and typically offers very traditional French dishes. If you are less adventurous the à la carte menu is varied enough to cover most tastes. I pondered a hearty sausage casserole before going for a safe steak frites. The food is very satisfying without being extravagant. The steak was faultless and cooked ‘à point’ (medium) although this always arrives slightly rarer than it would in the UK. Accompanied with a basket of delicious fresh bread, a lightly dressed green salad and a huge wooden handled steak knife I had everything I needed (I had already ordered a large glass of nicely aged Saint-Emilion grand cru).

The service was efficient, professional and reassuringly nonchalant. The wine list is obviously extensive with plenty of wines by the glass. However it’s hard to resist ordering a bottle. A waiter will bring a beautiful glass carafe to your table and decant the wine with delightful ceremony.

This is a straightforward, authentic brasserie-style restaurant which scores highly for food, atmosphere and wine list. What more do you want?

L'Envers du Decor

Why is choosing wine so difficult?

Most people I speak to are completely baffled by wine but wish they could understand it better. There is no shame in this because wine is a fairly impenetrable subject. The volume of information to absorb is immense so to gain a comprehensive knowledge of wine requires constant learning and can literally take a lifetime. Wine is a particularly confusing product to understand for several reasons. It’s made from a wide variety of grapes, it’s made in many different ways, every country and region classifies their wine differently, and even the same wine changes from one vintage to the next.

Taking time to read the labels may not help because there are few requirements to label wines consistently beyond the alcohol content. Some wine labels promote the grape, others the name of the Chateau or winemaker, and some highlight the region it comes from. When we wander into a supermarket wine aisle and are confronted with up to 300 different wines, it’s hardly surprising that most people go straight for the one they drank last time. We would do the same if confronted with 300 brands of mustard.

Retailers are well aware of this and consequently promote a few wines to help customers choose. The problem is that big retailers focus on wines that offer consistency from year to year, low prices, and recognisable brands that customers can spot on the shelves. So they tend to buy from high volume commercial wineries that meet these criteria. Unfortunately these wines are rarely the best examples of their type and certainly not what the locals drink.

Supermarket promotions and unhelpful wine labeling are unlikely to change overnight, or even in the next few years. To gain confidence in buying wine, we really need to gain some knowledge and not rely on the winemakers or supermarkets to steer us in the right direction. With some basic knowledge we can all start to make our own decisions about what are good, bad and average wines – instead of just buying wines we have drunk before or simply using price as our guide.

So how do we make it easier?

Wine has a confusing array of variables such as grape variety, region, production method and vintage. The answer is to think about each aspect of the wine separately and then layer your knowledge as you gain more understanding. For example the best place to start is the grape variety. Try one grape variety at a time, avoiding blended wines if possible (this information is usually on the back label).  Most wine regions are reasonably consistent with their predominant grape variety. For example nearly all white wine from Burgundy in France is chardonnay, and in the Loire its sauvignon-blanc. Learning these links between regions and grape varieties will help you identify wines that should taste similar.

The next step is to start understanding the variations in style between regions and countries. For example a New Zealand sauvignon-blanc will be very zesty with tropical fruit flavours of pineapple and grapefruit, while a French version will be similar but more subtle – with more citrus flavours of lemon and lime. Once you have begun to understand grape varieties and how they are represented in different regions you are well on the way to understanding the basics of wine. You can do this for several different red and white grapes and this will give you a good basic knowledge of what to expect when you buy a wine you have never drunk before.

Once you know what you like you can start moving up the price range to see how the quality improves. Most wine regions have a classification system that indicates the quality of the wine. Unfortunately these differ from country to country and even from region to region so you will have to do some reading. Again, if you stick to one country or region at a time it makes the task much more manageable. Most classification systems indicate that the wine comes from a specific area, and that it’s made from certain permitted grape varieties.

Beware of assuming that price always equals quality, or that a wine with a higher classification will always taste better. For example if you like red Burgundy (pinot noir grape), you’re probably better off finding a good vintage rather than paying for a higher classification. Above all it’s important to have fun learning about wine and not get bogged down with the detail. In the end it’s a product that is made to be enjoyed – so it’s worth remembering that.