White Tempranillo - A Twist From Rioja

The wines of Spain's Rioja region are varied and always a delight.  From crisp, young whites to fresh rosados to bright and cheery young reds and those with some age and oak influence, the wines of Rioja never fail to impress while showing off their terroir.

The Rioja region lies between mountain ranges in the north-central part of Spain and is separated into three main sub-regions, Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa.  Tempranillo is the main red grape, although you will often see Graciano, Garnacha (Grenache) and Mazuelo.  For white wines, Viura is popular, with Malvasia playing a supporting role. 

The Perez Cuevas family of Bodegas Ontañón has worked the land of Rioja for four generations. Starting with a patch south of the Ebro River near the small town of Quel, they have accumulated more property through the decades. They now grow grapes on the high ground of the Sierra Yerga Mountains and are one of the biggest family vineyard owners in the country.

Ruben Perez Cuevas and José Miguel Avizcuri collaborate as winemakers and used fruit from the El Aniceto vineyard for the full varietal 2022 Ontañón Tempranillo Blanco. This white version of Tempranillo is a mutation of the red Tempranillo variety, discovered by a grape grower in the 1990s and officially recognized in 2007. This bottle has an alcohol content of 13.5% abv and sells for around $20 or less.

This wine is tinted straw yellow and has a mineral-laden nose which also offers a tropical fruit basket of aromas. Pineapple, mango, lemon, orange and apple all waft up from the glass.  The palate shows the minerals up front, with a salinity that runs through the sip. Acidity is decent, if not ripping, and the wine finishes long with savory notes staying afloat to the end. I would love this with peel-and-eat shrimp, but it’s also great with a handful of peanuts.  

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Unique Spanish White Wine Blend

The Vivanco dream began, according to the website, 100 years ago when Pedro Vivanco González started a four-generation - and counting - business. Today Santiago Vivanco leads the business side and and Rafael Vivanco Sáenz makes the wine. The winery is where it has always been, in the La Rioja town of Briones.

This Rioja white wine is made from 50% Viura grapes, 35% Tempranillo Blanco and 15% Maturana Blanca, and they claim it's the first wine in the world made from those varieties. The grapes were grown in estate vineyards located "in different Rioja terroirs."

Thé Vivanco family describes the two grapes in this mix with which you may not be familiar. The Tempranillo Blanco comes from "a natural genetic mutation found in a single cane of a red Tempranillo vine, discovered in an old vineyard in Murillo de Río Leza (La Rioja) in 1988. It does not exist anywhere else in the world." The Maturana Blanca "is the oldest grape variety to have a written record in Rioja, being mentioned in a text dating to 1622. It does not exist anywhere else in the world." So, you're getting a real treat here.

The wine is alcohol-restrained at 13% abv and sells for around ten bucks online. Looking for value? Right here.

The Vivanco Rioja Viura Blend 2016 is pale in the glass and offers up a nose of citrus and wet rock minerals. It's a gentle set of aromas, and the palate follows suit, with easy acidity - still quite fresh, though - and flavors of lemon pie with a spray of green apples. It should pair very well with white fish, risotto or pasta with butter and pepper.

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