Voices of the Vine: Episode 11

Wine Tasting Short: Bodegas Lan 2020 Rioja Crianza

Release Date: February 28, 2025

Photos by: Denise M. Gardner

Today’s Wine Tasting Short is a part of a two-part series. This is going to be part one where we start to explore some wines from Rioja. In our oaky series, we’ve been talking a lot about how oak influences the wine and Rioja is one of those regions that uses oak aging to define their wine styles. So join us today as we taste a Crianza from Rioja.

Links for things mentioned in this episode:

• Bodegas Lan 2020 Rioja Crianza (the wine we tasted in this episode)
• The Rioja Classifications
  • Rioja Crianza (“upbringing”): Cherry Red Seal
  • Rioja Reserva: Burgundy Red Seal
  • Rioja Gran Reserva: Dark Blue Seal
• Do You Love Old World of New World Wines? The Red Wine Edition
• Will you like this wine? This wine falls between a Pinot Noir / Burgundy (on the lighter-weight end of the spectrum) and a Sangiovese / Chianti (on the heavier-weight end of the spectrum). Pinot Noir tends to lack the fruit that we found in this wine and doesn’t have as much astringency as the Crianza. Chianti or Sangiovese may carry the astringency, but often lacks the fruit intensity, fruit flavors we found in this wine. If you tend to gravitate towards Pinot Noir or Sangiovese/Chianti wines, this may be another great option to try!
• Our ideas for food pairings with this wine:
  • Cheese:
    • Manchego
    • Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
    • Aged Cheddar
  • Charcuterie Plates (Aged Meats, Cheese, Crackers, Nuts, Dried Fruits, Olives, etc.)
  • Tapas (Spanish Appetizers)
  • Sardines
  • Tuna Steak (especially with a grilled or blackened exterior)
  • Barbecue
  • Grilled Vegetables
  • Mushroom Soup
  • Stuffed Portobello (Stuffed with chickpeas and topped with shredded cheese)
  • Thanksgiving Meal (especially a smoked turkey)

Thank you for listening to another delicious episode of Voices of the Vine. You can find show notes for our episodes by subscribing to the DGW Sip & Swirl, or by visiting the Sip & Swirl Archive, both available at dgwinemaking.com/winelovers. That’s dgwinemaking.com/winelovers with an “s” at the end.

We love to talk about tasting wine on this podcast. Please remember that our podcast is about wine appreciation and education, but that we both support and encourage responsible alcohol consumption. Additionally, both of us are winemaking professionals, so we do not get paid for tasting wine. All opinions expressed here on our podcast are those of ours alone.

Today’s episode is produced, researched, and hosted by both Denise Gardner and myself, Virginia Mitchell. If you enjoyed today’s episode, we’d love for you to subscribe to Voices of the Vine on your favorite podcast platform. Plus, listener reviews go a long way for podcasters. If you could leave us a review on your platform of choice, we’d truly appreciate it.

Thanks for listening.