#typesofwines

One of the top things when learning about wine is to know the differences in how it is made. Depending on the ageing process followed, Rioja´s wines have different categories:

Young wine

This is wine made in the same year that the grapes are picked without any kind of ageing or maturation process. It keeps its primary characteristics of freshness and fruitiness. 

Crianza wines

This category corresponds to wines which are in at least their third year which have spent a minimum of one year ageing in the cask, in the case of red wines, or six months in the case of white or rosé wines.

Reserva wines

Red wines

Selected wines from the best vintages which, due to their special characteristics, have been aged for a total of three years between cask and bottle, of which a minimum of 1 year has been spent in the cask.  White and rosé wines  Aged in the cask and the bottle for a total of a minimum of 2 years, with at least six months’ cask ageing. 

  Gran reserve wines

Red wines

This is the top classification of the Control Board. It is applied to selected wines from exceptional vintages which have been kept for a minimum of 2 years in the cask and 3 years in the bottle. 

White and rosé wines

Aged in oak casks and bottle for a minimum total period of 4 years, with a minimum cask ageing time of of 6 months