We wander for a bit past the aqueduct so to get away from the main tourist area before looking for…read morea bar to have a drink. We decided on this place.
The bartender was a nice gentleman who gave us Pintxos with our drinks and the most wonderful tinto I had had so far in Spain. It was from Carlos Serres from Rioja a 2010 Crianza.
I didn't know about wine in Spain so I first thought that Crianza was a grape but it isn't. Rioja is an AVA but Crianza is a level of quality. Wines from Rioja labeled 'Crianza' will have a similar taste profile (mostly Tempranillo and often blended with Grenache). Crianza is not the bottom but it is next. The top two are Reserva and Gran Reserva. You can easliy find Reservas in a store but most of the new release Gran Reservas are around 10 years old+ when you first see them and cellar up to 30 years. You have to hunt for these.
So in a bar if you order a tinto Rioja Crianza, you are going to get a decent glass of wine from place to place.
The wine was lovely. The tapas were awesome and plentiful. We went back in the late afternoon but the kitchen was closed, the tapas were gone and they were pouring a different wine. Timing is everything, come early :-)
