Rioja

[SAR]

O.K. I give up. When asking for advice recently on a Dry Red Wine to go into a Sassy Sangria recipe, everyone agreed that I just need a "Rioja". I don't know what "Rioja" is and can't find it in a liquor store. Is this another genric name for "Red Rose" or something else? I can't find the word Rioja on any label. What do I need to look for label or brand wise. Help and Thanks.

[chittychattykathy]

Look for bottles with a thin wire netting on them, and they will say Rioja, they are from Spain. (You do not need to buy one of these "chained" wines, it's just a way of finding the Riojas.) Or ask for a: "Ree-OH-hah" (Rioja). PS- You can also use a cheap Chilean red for your Sangria like Santa Rita Cab. Sauv.

[hotwine]

If you ask your retailer for a "red table wine from Spain", that will turn up the Riojas. Some specific wines to look for include:
- Monticillo Vina Cumbreno, about $6.99
- Marques di Riscal, about $9.99
- Marques de Caceras, about $8.99

I have used each of those to accompany BBQ, and they would do equally well in a Sangria. The key in finding them is the pronunciation, as CCK indicated. Look for dark bottles with dark red to maroon labels and gold lettering. If you still can't find a Rioja, you might default to a cheap Chianti; you're going to kill the wine with fruit juice anyway, so no one will know the difference.