What does Darth Vader know about wine anyway?
Ok so this has been quite a hard write for me.
It has made me confront, and draw into sharp focus, my previously repressed and undeclared ambivalence-cum-hostility towards this world famous area of Northern Spain.
I guess I should try to explain this seemingly random animosity towards Rioja, especially as it is surely one of Spain’s most celebrated and famous regions. And more specifically, because here at Ambiente we have been celebrating it this month.
Admittedly, Rioja makes some magnificent wine. It also makes an awful lot of wine that tastes remarkably like other Rioja. This isn't entirely accidental.
Presiding over Spain's most famous wine region is the Consejo Regulador, an organisation whose job is to protect Rioja's quality and reputation. A noble undertaking. Unfortunately, like parking wardens, Ofsted inspectors and the Galactic Empire, regulatory bodies have a tendency to become rather enthusiastic about regulating things.
Rioja therefore has rules. Lots of them.
There are rules about which grapes you can grow, where you can grow them, yields, production methods and, most famously, how long wines must be aged to qualify for Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva. The result is a system that has been brilliantly successful at creating something consumers recognise.
The problem is that wine isn't baked beans.
Consistency shouldn't always be the objective.
For years, Rioja's traditional hierarchy effectively encouraged us to believe that the important question about a bottle was how long it had spent sitting in a barrel. Where the grapes actually came from seemed almost secondary. This is particularly peculiar when you consider that Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental contain dramatically different soils, elevations and climates.
Judging wine principally by ageing is rather like awarding Michelin stars according to how long the chicken liver has been in the water bath (how long was it, Heston?)
Popular culture has been warning us about this sort of behaviour for decades. In Orwell's 1984 we get the Ministry of Truth. In Brazil, bureaucracy becomes so enormous that nobody can remember what it's actually for. In Footloose, the authorities decide that young people cannot be trusted to dance.
Then there's Star Wars.
The Galactic Empire presumably began with somebody suggesting that the galaxy needed clearer administrative procedures. Before long everyone's wearing grey uniforms, Darth Vader is strangling colleagues during meetings and somebody has built a Death Star.
It's regulatory mission-creep on an intergalactic scale.
But perhaps the finest analogy comes from Rush's album "2112". Its Priests of the Temples of Syrinx control culture, knowledge and artistic expression (think of Lisa Nandy’s department all dressed like the Archbishop of Canterbury). When the story's protagonist discovers an ancient guitar and excitedly demonstrates his newfound ability to make music, the Priests effectively tell him not to bother. They already have music. Approved music.
You can imagine the Rioja version.
"Yes, Señor García, your tiny limestone vineyard produces an extraordinarily distinctive expression of Tempranillo. Very interesting. Now please put it in this oak barrel for the prescribed period and fill in Form DMT456b."
Fortunately, rebellion is underway.
Rioja increasingly recognises zones, municipalities and Viñedos Singulares, allowing individual vineyards and their particular characteristics greater prominence. Producers are increasingly talking about altitude, soil, orientation and individual sites rather than simply Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva.
And this matters because great wine should contain fingerprints.
A winemaker isn't merely operating a machine that converts grapes into an officially approved beverage. There are thousands of tiny decisions involved — picking dates, extraction, fermentation, blending, oak, ageing — and those decisions are precisely where skill, instinct and personality appear.
The Consejo Regulador deserves enormous credit. It protected Rioja, built consumer confidence and helped turn it into one of the world's great wine names.
But perhaps its greatest future achievement would be knowing when to get out of the way.
Sometimes you have to trust the winemaker, open the cellar door and let the Rebel Alliance have a go.
Tim
I promise it’s not all negative. Check out my love piece next…
Ambiente’s Map of Spain
If you’ve been inspired to head to La Rioja or anywhere else in Spain we’ve featured so far, we’ve created an “Ambiente Map of Spain” featuring some of our favourite places to eat, drink and explore. And we'll be adding to it monthly as we discover more of Spain together.
Discover La Rioja in our Restaurants
Our September Special!
If a visit to La Rioja isn’t on the cards this month, then we’ll bring La Rioja to you! This month our team have created a deliciously creamy special that will take you straight to the heart of this wonderful city; Pimientos del piquillo rellenos🫑
An ideal pairing with our Riojan Wine specials of the Month!
Book your table to experience La Rioja today!
Come and give them a try while they're on the menu. Available throughout September.
Discover Spain
Keep exploring Spain with us...
From recipes and regional drinks to local history, travel tips and hidden gems, our Discover Spain series celebrates the places that inspire our menus.
Browse all of our Discover Spain features here.