Some quick tips to help you build your business. Learn some basic tasting notes and wine and food pairings and how Riojas can turn wine purchases into cash faster than the competition!

 

We can also provide you with a wide range of educational and promotional tools – many customized to your needs. They include bottle-neckers, informational notebooks, maps, gift bags, tasting notes, food-pairing notes and much, much more. If you have an idea, we will try to work with you to produce it.

 

RIOJA RESTAURANT TIPS

Food and Wine Pairings

 

Rioja Blanco

 

Flavors – Clean and citrusy with aromas of fresh stone fruit (peach, apricot) and pears

 

Pairing – Great pre-meal aperitif on its own or pair with green salad, shrimp cocktail or shellfish

 

Barrel Fermented White Rioja

 

Flavors – Aromas of vanilla, coconut, tropical fruit and honey. A rich mouth-feel, almost creamy, good pineapple-like acidity, and a dry finish

 

Pairing – Great Chardonnay substitute, recommended with richer fish (salmon, tuna), shellfish and things that actually have fruit in them (mango salsa for example), and of course, dessert

 

Rioja Rosado

 

Flavors – Exuberant aromas of red berry fruit – think cherry and strawberry – with a dry finish

 

Pairing – Perfect for quenching your thirst on a hot day (or for conjuring summer on cold days). With very few exceptions, Rosados are not meant to age – so look for a bottle with the most recent vintage

 

Rioja Tinto Joven

 

Flavors – The fruitiest red made in Rioja. Very summery aromas: strawberries and cherries

 

Pairing – Pair with beef or turkey

 

Rioja Tinto Crianza

 

Flavors – Big aromas of strawberries, cherries, with varying degrees of toasty/vanilla flavors and aromas (from the oak) – generally fruity and clean on the palate

 

Pairing – Rioja’s everyday wine. Perfect with whole roasted fish, beef and pasta

 

Rioja Tinto Reserva

 

Flavors – Modern styles of Reserva tend to have flavor profiles towards chocolate, sweet spices, and what Spaniards call sabores balsámicos – fennel, anise, licorice. Classic styles of Reserva tend to have more developed, earthier aromas with less noticeable fresh fruit, but more complexity and finesse

 

Pairing – Great with lamb, risotto, pork, ratatouille, etc… in other words, a wine to bring to a dinner party!

 

Rioja Tinto Gran Reserva

 

Flavors – A seductive and complex blend of subtle spice and soft fruit: blackberries, dried cherries and cinnamon overlain with flavors such as cigar box, leather, truffles, and faded flowers

Pairing – A special occasion wine. Excellent with fall and winter stews, sautéed mushrooms and game (duck, venison, pheasant, etc…) Now you’re ready to tackle the next restaurant on the list. Salud!

 

RETAIL TIPS

Promotional Programs

 

We can design and help execute different promotional programs to help you introduce your staff and customers to the wines of Rioja. Some sample programs are: Vibrant Rioja VIP Club – special tastings, food pairings, seminars and guided trips to the region; Vibrant Rioja Winedays – Build traffic on off nights; Vibrant Match – Try a tasting and pairing event customized to your offerings.

 

Quick Turn Around

 

Rioja wines are not released until ready to drink, so you won’t have to hold the wines in inventory for long!

 

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