Rioja Wine UK has unveiled its 2026 marketing plan, a year-long programme spanning both trade and consumer spaces.  New this year, the Discover Rioja initiative aims to strengthen links between producers and the UK trade.  According to the Rioja Regulatory Council, this will include a panel of UK trade experts who will assess 24 Rioja wines not currently…

Rioja Wine UK has announced that it will be hosting a consumer festival in London this July.  Organisers said the news follows a strong year for Rioja, with a 12% increase in exports to the UK in 2024.  The Rioja 100 Festival, which celebrates the region’s centenary anniversary, hopes to welcome 8,000 attendees, aiming to further drive growth in the UK market. …

The Official Rioja Wine Educator course has announced its latest round of graduations, with five graduates from the UK.  Led by the Rioja Wine Academy, a training platform set up by the region’s Control Board, the education programme saw 39 global graduates in 2023, meaning there are now 182 official Rioja educators worldwide.  The UK now has five newly certified Rioja educators:…

The region might be famous for its still reds, but sparkling white and rosé Rioja is beginning to appear on the scene, following some rule changes. Lucy Britner reports from Prowein.   The first Rioja Quality Sparkling Wines started appearing in 2020, after a 2017 decision by the control board started to bear fruit. The wines, known as Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja, came about after…

Rioja Wine UK has launched its new marketing campaign for 2021, with a clear focus on the “exceptional quality” of the top end wines of the region. With the value of Rioja in the UK up 17.9% in 2020, according to latest Nielsen statistics (MAT 26.12.20), the new campaign will bolster the region’s fine wine credentials and consolidate its position as Spain’s premier wine producing…

The final region Majestic Wine is focusing on for the Autumn phase of its 2020 range review is Spain. The retailer’s wine buyer for Spain, Joe Aylmer, says unlike many part of the range review, the Spanish range didn’t need a dramatic overhaul. He says: “It’s a country which has been greatly outperforming the market at Majestic for some time, built around the successful pillars…

Wines from Rioja UK has launched its 2020 promotional campaign, which features an increased focus on driving awareness of the region’s premium offering. A series of “fresh new initiatives” will be launched this year, including the Ultimate Rioja trade tasting, which will focus on “exceptional” Rioja wines. There will also be a series of masterclasses for up-and-coming talent in the wine industry, dubbed Rioja Bootcamp.