Daniele Nardi's website

When I don’t drink Italian wines, I tend to drink Spanish wines, particularly Rioja. They come in red, rose’, and whites, and they are all great values.

Rioja reds tend to be predominantly made from Tempranillo grape, a typical red variety of this area of Spain. Many Rioja tend to have some oak, but not as much as New World wines. There are three tiers of quality/age-worthyness: Crianza are the first ones released (less expensive and easier to drink young), then Reserva, and finally Gran Reserva (bolder, more age-worthy, and of course more expensive).

C.V.N.E. is a large producer, and the initials stand for Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana. It truly is a fantastic winery that makes delicious entry-level wines, as well as expensive, top Gran Reservas. I’ve had their entry level reds, white, and rose’. If you see one of their wines on the shelves, it is a safe bet.

This particular wine is a red from the 2018 vintage. It has a sweet nose with vanilla, cherry, but also some dust, rhubarb, and slight vegetable accents. The vanilla is present also in the mouth, and it comes from the oak used to age the wine. It is balanced, and with a long finish. The only reason I am not giving a higher rating is because the midpalate seems a bit weak. Yet, this is very enjoyable and at $14-17, it is a great introduction to Rioja.