Celebrity match: Think George Clooney. Smooth, mellow and ages well. Not pretentious despite his celebrity status.

We would never have dreamt of leaving Rioja out of our range of Old World classics. From the heart of Spain, nobody needs an introduction to Rioja.

A distinct characteristic of Rioja wine is the effect of oak aging. The use of oak and the resulting vanilla flavours in the wine has been a virtual trademark of the region over the years. Radcliffe’s Rioja Crianza is aged for 2 years – the first year in oak barrels and the second in bottle, to get a rich, toasty, vanilla flavour that goes on and on. Look out for the label on the bottle which designates this as ‘crianza’ - a guarantee of the length of aging in the wine production process.

Radcliffe’s Rioja has a perfect balance between the fruit and the oak – giving a smooth and long-lasting flavour, soft enough to drink on its own, or perfect for food matching. The juicy fruit from the tempranillo grapes make this a quaffer at barbecues or try with Spanish-style chicken casserole with peppers and onions.

Rioja also matches chickpea or chorizo dishes. For a cosy Sunday roast, enjoy Rioja with roast chicken or roast beef but avoid the more fatty meats like lamb.

Rioja origins and winery

Rioja, Spain

We opted for our partners – the award-winning Bodegas Olarra to make this wine for us. Olarra is located on the outskirts of Logrono right in the heart of Rioja within the prestigious ‘Rioja Alto’ district. Based in the higher area of Rioja, it means the grapes don't get too baked by the sunshine and instead keep the fresh fruit flavour we want.

Bodegas Olarra is the most fantastic winery, often referred to as the 'Cathedral of Rioja Wine' although we think it looks more like something from a James Bond movie! Olarra combines the most modern wine making techniques with traditional vinification and aging processes to create beautiful wines which meet Rioja’s strict quality standards.