Friday Wine Tasting 11/01

Wine Tasting 11/01 : Rioja

Come join us for a fabulous afternoon of wine tasting at The San Francisco Wine Trading Company on November 1st! Whether you're a wine connoisseur or just looking to have a good time, this event is perfect for you. Sample a variety of exquisite wines and mingle with fellow wine enthusiasts. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to expand your palate and enjoy some delicious wines. See you there!

2022 Nivarius Tempranillo Blanco $16.94

I thought tempranillo was a red grape? It is! However, this is the white mutation of the grape. Nivarius is a winery in Rioja that grows tempranillo blanco at high elevations, producing wines that are finessed and have bright acidity. They are a minimal intervention winery and emphasize terroir driven wines. They have researched and discovered the specific soil types on their properties and have mapped them out to be able to have a thorough understanding of how each soil and plot expresses each grape.

2023 Ostatu Rioja Blanco $20.94

Ostatu began producing their own wines in 1970 after centuries of wine growing. They are located in Rioja Alavasa, a sub-zone of Rioja that contains the highest elevations. This Rioja blanco is made from 85% viura and 15% malvasia, two grapes common in the white wines of Rioja. The grapes are coming from the highest point of their oldest vineyard sites. It is fermented in stainless steel and kept in tank until bottling.

2020 Vina Ijalba Ijalba Graciano $24.94

Graciano is one of the grape varieties typically blended with tempranillo in red Rioja wines. In 1994, Vina Ijalba was the first producer to make a wine exclusively from graciano, and still makes it to this day. They are a third generation winery that has contributed to recuperating forgotten native varieties in Rioja. Not only were they the first to make a wine exclusively from graciano, but also the first to produce a monovarietal tempranillo blanco, maturana blanco and maturana tinta (also known as trousseau).

2019 Akutain Rioja Crianza $32.94

Crianza is an aging designation in Rioja that requires two years of total aging, including one year in oak. Bodega Akutain is a family run winery that implements traditional winemaking in Rioja. Traditionalists typically list an aging designation and use American oak as opposed to French Oak. Bodega Akutain is a "chateau style" winery as they only source from their own vineyards on their estate. They are located entirely within the sub-zone Rioja Alta, and have listed the sub-zone on their labels for over 25 years.

2011 Lopez De Heredia Rioja Vina Bosconia Reserva $41.94

Bodegas Lopez de Heredia is an iconic producer known for high quality and sought after wines. They were established in 1877 and are currently a fourth generation winery. They are known for being a traditional Rioja producer, emphasizing tempranillo-based blends, American oak, and aging designations listed on the label. They typically age their wines for much longer than the aging designation requires. In fact, this is the “Reserva” bottling, which mandates a minimum of three years of aging, including one year in barrel and six months in bottle. However, it is aged for five years instead of three. Bodegas Lopez de Heredia owns multiple single vineyards within Rioja Alta, including this one, the Bosconia vineyard.

2015 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 $98.94

La Rioja Alta was established in 1890 and is a sixth generation winery. They are a minimal intervention winery commited to helping the planet and sustainability. They rack their wines by candlelight which utilizes a natural way of removing sediment and decreases energy consumption. They also have a solar powered farm which decreases emissions of carbon dioxide. This is their "Gran Reserva" bottle, which requires a minimum of five years of aging, including two years in barrel and two years in bottle. This wine is a blend of 90% tempranillo and 10% graciano, and received a 98 point score from James Suckling.

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