When it comes to French wine we often don’t refer to the grape nor the taste -- we also defer to the region. Chardonnay, Burgundy and Beaujolais are just a few regions in France that are long associated with a win. How many times do we refer to any white wine as a “Chardonnay” just by looks alone; For intents and purposes it could be a Riesling, which is an entirely different thing.

But as Germany, a neighbor of France has a thriving wine culture and plenty of famous ones to boot -- what the other neighbor? How about the other neighbor that is on the west end of France? What about Spain? What kind of wines does Spain have?

Spain shares the same weather as Mediterranean France. Lower in latitude than France, Spain carries the hot, humid Mediterranean weather shared in places like Miami and Los Angeles. This means that regions in Spain will have the optimal weather for growing grapes. This would be quite evident in cities like Valencia, Barcelona and even Sevilla. But we are going to highlight a region near the French border called Rioja.

Most wine connoisseurs already associate the word Rioja with the wine, but the region is quite interesting. It’s location is unique and a hub for many regional cultures. France is not that far away but it borders Spanish Basque region and the provinces of Aragon and Castilla y Leon. Much like the mixed ethnic makeup of the region, the weather has plenty of influences too. Rioja is bordered to the north and south by mountains, in essence making it a corridor where weather is defined by the push-pull of cool Atlantic and warm Mediterranean influences.

A little of everything of Spain and Basque country is in Rioja. And their signature red wine is a testament to that. The winemaking process in the region has been honed for centuries but its most prominent features is oak aging. The oak aging process is a more complex process than the wine involving drying, seasoning and special cutting. The end result is an earthy yet sweet taste to go with the red wine.

As you learn more about Rioja, you will find out that its classified in four ways. Rioja -- the youngest of them all, crianza --  aged for two years, one year in oak, Rioja reserva -- aged for three years with one in oak and Rioja Gran Reserva -- aged two years in oak and three in the bottle. You will find these classifications on the bottle as they are served.