Rioja News | Spotlight on Rioja | Rioja Tastings | Ask Ana | Featured Recipe | Last Sip
June/July 2014 
Celebrate Summer with Rioja
Break out the red, white and rose… summer is finally here! What better way to enjoy the sunshine and lazy days than with an outdoor gathering with good food, good wine and good friends. Need some help planning? Check out these fun, mouth-watering, summertime party menus:
BEACH PARTY: featuring Crab Cakes and Lobster Rolls (wine pairing: Crianza)
BACKYARD BBQ: featuring Rib-Eye Steak and Mashed Sweet Potatoes (wine pairing: Reserva)
PERFECT PICNIC: featuring Goat Cheese Sandwiches and Nectarine Cake Squares (wine pairing: Rosado)
And don’t forget the Rioja…always a hit at any celebration. Cheers to summer!
Win an Awesome Wine Fridge!
Need a vault to store your best liquid libations? As a thank you for being a loyal member of our Rioja community, we are offering you the chance to win a Wine Enthusiast Silent 28 Bottle Touchscreen Wine Refrigerator.
Enter now!
Congratulations to Stephanie A. from Philadelphia, PA, the winner of our April/May Wine Refrigerator Sweepstakes!
Rioja Week Love
After attending Rioja Week’s Grand Tasting and Media Reception, Los Angeles Times’ wine writer S. Irene Virbila wrote a fantastic article, "Older Wines, Unbelievable Values – taking a sneak peek at Rioja," that captured her experiences at Rioja Week.
Check out all the latest scoop in our Rioja newsroom!
Rioja Takes Over New York City!
Thank you to everyone who attended Rioja Week 2014 – it was a huge success! From April 23 through May 4, Rioja took a bite out of the Big Apple with promotional activities during the week at restaurants and retailers with delicious tastings and pairings. In addition to our media and trade events, the icing on the cake was the inaugural Rioja Wine & Tapas Festival in Brooklyn, NY. We had over 1,600 guests enjoying 65 bodegas, a Rioja 101 seminar, paella garden, jamon bar, cheese cave and live entertainment – it was an amazing afternoon full of great wine, delicious food and wonderful company. Stay tuned for more information coming your way about Rioja Week 2015! Here are some photos, click here to see more!
Northeast / Mid-Atlantic
Midwest
Rioja Tasting at Atlantic City Bottle Company – Atlantic City, NJ
July 5
1-4 pm
Complimentary
Details
Rioja “You say Rosé, we say Rosado” Tasting at The Noble Grape – Chicago, IL
June 27
6-8 pm
Complimentary
Details
Southeast
Rioja Across the Country this Summer!
Snap! Art Gallery Event with Rioja Wines –
Orlando, FL
July 9
5:30-7:30 pm
$50/person
Tickets & Details
Chef’s Dinner at Citricos Restaurant, Grand Floridian Resort – Orlando, FL
July 17
7 pm
$155/person
Tickets & Details
Look for Rioja to be the featured regional page in wine lists at Smith & Wollensky at all nine locations across the U.S.
Grocery chain Harris Teeter will host “Rioja Month” with 50 stores holding tastings throughout July. Visit website for details.
Craving a juicy steak alongside a juicy Rioja? Morton’s Steakhouse has just added a delicious new Rioja to their wine list, available by-the-glass at all locations across the country.
For all our upcoming events,
visit our online calendar.
Welcome to our newest column, Ask Ana! Have questions about the Rioja region, Rioja wines, or wine in general? Ask Ana Fabiano, our Rioja expert. Send us an e-mail with your question to askana@riojacommunity.com and you may see it in the next newsletter!
Rioja is appreciated as one of the greatest red wine producing regions of the world but what other types of wines does it produce?
Unlike many great red wines regions of the world, Rioja also produces world class rose wines. The versatility of the tempranillo grape coupled with skilled winemakers creates an offering of different styles of Rioja rosados perfect to explore at this time of the year. The refreshing pleasure of this wine in streaming sunshine, combined with the beauty of summer blooms like hydrangeas and lavender, is just dynamite. Also, artisanal white Riojas are fresh and light for summer. A rather ample offering of barrel fermented white Riojas are now in the marketplace.
Ana Fabiano is the Trade Director for the U.S. Rioja campaign, Brand Ambassador for the DOCa Rioja, and author of the award-winning book The Wine Region of Rioja. She has traveled extensively throughout Rioja is passionate about this region of the world.
Fresh Salmon Burgers
Ahhh, summertime… the perfect season to invite friends over for a glass of wine and some light fare. Check out this recipe for Fresh Salmon Burgers with Tarragon Mayonnaise from our friends at Epicurious. Pair with a crisp stainless white or juicy Rosado, such as Rioja El Coto or Ontañon.
Check out our Rioja & Food section of our website for more recipes and food pairing information!
