8th May 2024 | Pairings & Recipes | 4 minute read
Rioja and food go hand in hand, so finding a great Rioja food pairing is nice and easy!
With warmer weather on the horizon we’ve been thinking about wine pairings with our favourite summer foods. Wines from Rioja come in range of styles so you’re sure to find the right bottle for anything you fancy, from delicate fish to a big juicy steak. Check out our favourite recommendations.
When it comes to grilled fish and seafood, your perfect pairing is an unoaked white Rioja. Whites wines from Rioja come in an array of styles with barrel-aged, rich wines on one end of the spectrum and crisp, dry wines on the other. For a fish and seafood wine pairing you’ll definitely want to opt for a crisp, unoaked wine so that is doesn’t overwhelm the more delicate flavours of the fish.
We would highly recommend something like the Abel Mendoza Rioja DOCa Jarrarte Blanco 2022 if you’re planning on throwing some prawns on your BBQ. It’s zesty and fresh but as prawns are a bit more meaty, they can take some slightly stronger aromatic flavours which this wine definitely has.
Steak cries out for a full-bodied, fruit-filled red wine. The higher tannins and ample acidity found in Reserva Rioja help to cut through the fat of the meat and cleanse the palate.
Reserva Rioja has to be aged for a minimum of three years, one year of which is spent in oak barrels. The resulting wines are full-bodied and brimming with fruit, structured tannins and some deeper oaky flavours. It’s exactly the right kind of wine to stand up to a flavoursome cut of steak.
If you want to go all out then try the Bodegas Amaren Rioja Reserva 2015 for your next steak night. This is seriously good stuff that’s made the wine list in a handful of Michelin-star restaurants in Spain.
Crianza Rioja is aged for one year in oak then a further year in bottle. This makes for a lovely smooth, easy-drinking red wine that can often give you fantastic value for money.
The greasiness of a burger needs a wine with decent acidity and tannins to cut through the fat, and the flavours of the wine must be strong enough to stand up to the beef. Offering a red fruit palate with hints of oaky spice and smooth tannins, Crianza Rioja is the perfect pairing for this.
The Finca Los Principes Rioja Crianza 2019 is a 100% Tempranillo-based Crianza Rioja boasting red and black berry flavours with notes of cocoa and spice. A great choice for a BBQ wine.
A young, unoaked Rioja red is your best bet for your favourite pizza. It’s a little lighter than a mature Rioja, offering a juicy, red cherry palate with hints of spice.
The mild cheese you find on a traditional style of pizza won’t be overpowered by a young and fruity Rioja, while herb toppings and peppery salad leaves such as rocket will be complemented by the wine’s subtle spice beautifully. Not only that, but pepperoni, chorizo and salami are all mighty matches for this style of Rioja, too!
We’d highly recommend the Targa Rioja Tempranillo 2021, made by our friends over at Finca Manzanos who have been supplying us for many years with highly rated Rioja.
Of course, if you opt for a pizza loaded with stinky blue cheese or other pungent toppings you’ll need a different type of wine altogether. Head to the wine and cheese or wine and spicy food sections of our Wine Guide to delve deeper into the wonderful world of pairing.
We’ve got a mouth-watering line-up of Rioja reds and whites for you to enjoy this summer. Our brilliant buyers do an excellent job of sourcing and blending great wines from this iconic region for your drinking pleasure, and are always adding new delicious drops to the range. Hit the red button below to browse our full Rioja wine collection and find new must-haves for your summer wine rack.
