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Break Out the Grill and the Rioja Wine
Our Wine Pairing Weekend Group is pairing all-things grill with Rioja this month. Many of our members received samples, generously provided by Bodegas LAN.

Rioja Fast Facts

• Rioja is best known for its’ red wines, although white wines and rosato’s are also made
• Rioja red wines are blends, primarily of Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta (Grenache), with some Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano. Rioja wines are known for their long aging in oak barrels.
• Rioja white wines are also blends, primarily made from Viura, Malvasia, and Garnacha Blanca.
• Rioja wines are classified by their aging time, with the best grapes going into wines receiving the longest aging. Look for these notations on the label (aging listed for the red wines):
  • Joven – no aging requirements, these are simple fruit forward table wines. There’s no “Joven” on the back label, you’ll only see “Cosecha” followed by a year which indicates the vintage.
  • Crianza – 12 months minimum in cask, 24 months total
  • Reserva – 12 months minimum in cask, 36 months total
  • Gran Reserva – 24 months minimum in cask, 60 months total
• Historically, Rioja wines were held by the winery much longer than other regions of the world, the winery would wait to release until the wines were at their best. Some wineries still age and hold their wines much longer than the minimum requirements.

Look for the back sticker to show the official wine classification. This one tells us this is a Rioja Reserva 2012.

Barbecue / Grill / Gas Grill / Low & Slow Smoke / BBQ
Americans love all sorts of outdoor cooking. Whether it’s a hot and fast sear over open coals, reverse sear, or low and slow smoking for hours on end, we love it all! Take a look below at all the great ideas you’ll see this weekend. While you’re at it, join our chat on Twitter on 13 July at 10am CDT. Just search for the hashtag: #WinePW

• Deanna at Asian Test Kitchen shares “Vegan BBQ: 3 Ideas to Pair with Crianza Rioja”.
• Lori at Exploring the Wine Glass shares “A Father’s Passion is Passed Down to Daughter and Expressed in Bottle”
• David from Cooking Chat shares “Grilled Paprika Pork Chops with a Rioja”
• Jane at Always Ravenous shares “Grilled Sausage Feast Paired with Rioja Crianza”
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish shares “Paella and Bodegas LAN: Perfect for Your Summer BBQ“
• Jill at L’Occasion shares “On the Grill with Rioja Wine“
• Jennifer at Vino Travels Italy shares “Oven Roasted Italian Sausage with Rioja Riserva“
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares “Grilled Garam Masala Lamb Chops paired with Bodega LAN Reserva“
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Keep your cool with grilled steak salad and Rioja”
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Robatayaki and Rioja Wines, the Perfect Summertime Party”
• Pinny at Chinese Food & Wine Pairings shares “Bodegas LAN Rioja Crianza and Thick-Cut Sirloin Steak on the Grill”
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Our Favorite BBQ Ribs with LAN Rioja“
• Gwen at Wine Predator shares “An American Summer BBQ with a Red and a Rose from Rioja”
• Nicole at Somm’s Table shares “Cooking to the Wine: Bodegas LAN Rioja Reserva with Smoky Seared Octopus”
• Rupal at Syrah Queen shares “Bodegas LAN Rioja with Canjun Butter Steak”
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Smoking Low & Slow with Rioja Wines”