The Regulatory Council of the Rioja Denomination of Origin (DOCa Rioja) has recently implemented a revolutionary system for evaluating and tasting wines. Instead of relying on the subjective judgement of wine tasters, this new system is based on a sensory evaluation of the wine’s attributes, guaranteeing greater objectivity and reliability in the evaluation process.

This innovative system involves a team of 170 trained wine tasters, including oenologists, agronomists, researchers from the University of La Rioja, and, for the first time ever, 15 wine sommeliers. Each taster has undergone rigorous training and evaluation to ensure that they are capable of accurately assessing the quality of Rioja wines based on specific sensory attributes.

But that’s not all – the wine tasters now use opaque black glasses to ensure that they cannot be influenced by the color of the wine, creating a level playing field for all wines. The tasters evaluate each wine using a standardised sensory evaluation form, which focuses on specific attributes such as intensity of aroma, fruitiness, woodiness, and balance. The tasters do not assign scores or judge the wines, but rather provide objective descriptions of the wine’s sensory attributes.

The goal of this new system is to ensure that only the highest quality wines are classified as Rioja, and that consumers can trust the Rioja brand to deliver consistent quality and value. And the best part? The new system is the result of years of research and development, making it a significant step forward for the Rioja DOCa in terms of quality control and assurance.

So, whether you’re a wine connoisseur or just enjoy a good glass of vino, get excited for the future of Rioja wines and the assurance of consistent, high-quality products. If you’d like to learn more how wine tastings work then book a degustación de vinos with one of our experts.