Sunday, June 7, 2009

The Ruedafication of Rioja

Sauvignon blanc and chardonnay are now officially allowed in the Rioja DOCa. "With these new varieties we are trying to make Viura more fruity and fresh as that is what consumers want."

Actually, that should be some consumers want fruity and fresh white Rioja, just as some television viewers want to watch Maury Povich.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is awful news. The world needs no more of either of these varieties, and in fact could use a good ripping up of a lot of the SB and Chardonnay that are planted in every innapropriate corner of the earth.

Wicker Parker said...

I'm all in favor of sauv blanc and chardonnay when they're done well, but as you say, it's all about what's appropriate. This is clearly a marketing decision (the quote comes from a marketing manager) and has nothing to do with quality, let alone terroir.