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My general knowledge is truly terrible. I never, ever win at Trivial Pursuits and I would struggle to get beyond £1,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? I just don't retain information that I don't find interesting. Still, if I were 15 wine questions away from a case of 2000 Château Pétrus, I reckon I'd be in with a pretty good shot.

It's not just my business to know about wine, it's my hobby too. I'm curious about the wines I drink and when I come across something new, I like to find out a bit more about it. I do forget, though, that many wine drinkers aren't as interested in the product as the likes of me.

Why then was I so shocked to read recently that many Rioja wine drinkers in the UK aren't even aware that Rioja is from Spain and wouldn't even consider themselves Spanish wine drinkers? I was truly astonished to read that.

If Rioja were a wine producing region that had a minimal presence in the UK market place, I could understand it. However, in 2006 the British bought almost 28m litres of Rioja wine and we remain the region's most important export market. Perhaps it's time we got to know a little bit more about it.

So, here's my phone-a-friend guide to Rioja.

Situated in the Ebro Valley in northern Spain, Rioja has some 57,000 hectares (220 square miles) of vineyards. Red wines make up the lion's share but there are whites and rosés to be enjoyed too.

Up until the start of the year, the grape varieties were one of the easiest things to remember about Rioja. There were four permitted red grapes (tempranillo, graciano, garnacha and mazuelo) and three whites (viura, malvasia and garnacha blanco). Now, though, a troop of new varieties has been given the stamp of approval by the controlling authority, known as the Rioja Designation of Origin'. The end result is now seven possible varieties for red Rioja and nine for the whites.

Let's not get waylaid by such detail, though. The key thing to remember (for the time being) is that, in volume terms at least, tempranillo is king.

Tempranillo must take more than its fair share of the credit when it comes to Rioja's considerable appeal. It produces wines with lovely colour and vibrant, aromatic flavours. There are no harsh tannins to worry about and if low-acidity is a flaw, it can be easily rectified by blending in a little mazuelo. Such an obliging grape can be turned into any host of wine styles - from the young, fresh and juicy to the more sophisticated, age-worthy, oaked examples.

Oak and Rioja are as established a partnership as manchego and membrillo. The French brought (American) oak barrels to the region at the end of the 19th century and they've been an immovable feature ever since.

Young, unoaked wines (referred to as joven') are made, but the majority of Rioja wines sold (60 per cent) have been aged, for at least some time, in oak. Being familiar with the terms on the label will give you the heads up when it comes to knowing how much time the wine has spent in barrel.

A Rioja crianza wine cannot be sold until it's in its third year and the rules stipulate that the wine must have spent at least 12 months maturing in oak casks. The beady-eyed among you might also spot semi-crianza' on the label. It's not an official category but is a helpful guide for those who like a little oak but find the full 12-month hit a bit too much.

Red reserva wines will spend a minimum of three years' ageing before being released for sale in their fourth year. As with crianza wines, at least 12 months of this time must be spent in oak. Gran reserva wines are made only in the very best vintages and you won't get hold of them until at least six years after the harvest. The wines must spend a mandatory minimum of two years in oak and spend three years ageing in the bottle.

So, there you have it. If you do find yourself clutching a cheque for the million, having correctly identified your crianza from your reserva, don't forget to thank me. A case of 2000 Pétrus will do nicely!

Alternatively, content yourself with shouting your answers at the telly while working your way through The Oxford Times Wine Club's Rioja selection that's on offer this week.

For The Oxford Times Wine Club wine offers click here

10:39am Friday 8th June 2007

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