The Guardian

Rioja is a wine that can often be found to have a multiple personality disorder, Victoria Moore states. Sometimes slick, sometimes traditional and sometimes even sneaky, she feels it is often hard to know where you stand with this Spanish variety. Things are set to get even more confusing, she continues, with the Rioja Regulatory Council's recent approval of six additional native grape varieties. "Expect things to get more complicated still," Moore warns. The 2004 Muriel Rioja Crianza (Sainsbury's, 5.99) features for "pure, sweet, clean fruit" while she also recommends the 2001 Contino Rioja Reserva (Waitrose, 25), which is a "gorgeously nuanced, old-school, noble Rioja that's rich and fulfilling".