{"id":13964,"date":"2017-04-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-03T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.invinic.com\/3-wines-to-drink-instead-of-piedra-del-rayo-rioja"},"modified":"2017-10-05T14:44:47","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T12:44:47","slug":"3-wines-to-drink-instead-of-piedra-del-rayo-rioja","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.invinic.com\/en\/3-wines-to-drink-instead-of-piedra-del-rayo-rioja","title":{"rendered":"3 wines to drink instead of Piedra del Rayo Rioja"},"content":{"rendered":"
Piedra del Rayo <\/b>Rioja<\/b><\/a> is a popular, easy-to-drink Spanish wine. You may know it, you may even love it. It\u2019s inexpensive, it\u2019s fruity and it tastes good. Those are all good points when it comes to picking a wine, for sure, but we think we can do better. The wine world is big, and there are other producers out there making all sorts of wines that you could try instead. Next time you\u2019re shopping for Piedra del Rayo Rioja<\/strong>, why not consider one of these three tasty alternatives\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You might expect us to simply recommend you another <\/span>Rioja<\/span><\/a> wine instead of Piedra del Rayo, but no. We\u2019ve looked outside the Rioja region and have come up with three bottles that you\u2019re sure to love. If you like Piedra del Rayo Rioja for its price, its fruitiness and, well, its tastiness, you\u2019ll find a lot to like here!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jumilla sometimes flies under the radar, overshadowed by better-known Spanish regions like Rioja and Ribera del Duero<\/a>. The nice thing about that is that the wines tend to be undervalued: Spend a little in Jumilla and you\u2019ll get a lot of bang for your buck. You can get a Jumilla wine for less than \u20ac10 that\u2019d cost twice that if it were from a more famous region. That\u2019s great for the wine lover.<\/span><\/p>\n Our top pick is <\/span>Juan Gil 12 Meses<\/span><\/a>. There\u2019s plenty of reasons to like this wine:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Like Piedra del Rayo Rioja, this is a concentrated, fruity and harmonious wine. Skip the Rioja and serve this with an aged cheeseboard and seriously impress your guests!<\/p>\n [ BUY IT<\/a><\/span> ]<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We love Toro wines. These are rich, powerful and full. The wines really represent a sense of place, and the winemakers even have their own name for the Tempranillo grape<\/a> – Tinta de Toro. Piedra del Rayo Rioja is all well and good, though why not branch out and see how somebody else does Tempranillo.<\/span><\/p>\n Again, you can get a great bottle of top Toro for less than \u20ac10, and we\u2019ve picked <\/span>Flor de Vetus<\/span><\/a> particularly for you Piedra del Rayo fans!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sub this one in for Piedra del Rayo and serve it up with a good steak!<\/p>\n [ BUY IT<\/a><\/span> ]<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A little off the beaten track again, the Somontano region offers serious value for money and a real viable alternative to your Rioja. <\/span>Enate Cabernet Merlot<\/span><\/a> comes at a very nice price and has a lot to offer:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grab a bottle of Somontano and leave the Piedra del Rayo Rioja on the shelf. You\u2019ll impress your friends by presenting a less well-known bottle and you can tell them all about the <\/span>Bordeaux<\/span><\/a> connection, too!<\/span><\/p>\n3 Alternatives to Piedra del Rayo Rioja<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Substitute #1: High-quality Jumilla<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Juan Gil 12 Meses<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>This one is 100% Mourv\u00e8dre, a powerful black grape best known in GSM blends.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s literally bursting with flavour, with beautiful aromas of ripe red fruits and toasted wood.<\/span><\/h4>\n
With a 92-point score from Gu\u00eda Pe\u00f1\u00edn, this is a surefire hit!<\/span><\/h4>\n
Best of all, this is a premium quality wine at a very accessible price!<\/span><\/h4>\n
Substitute #2: Tasty Toro<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Flor de Vetus<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>This is every bit as full-flavoured and fruit-forward as your favourite Rioja, with some serious bite to it!<\/p>\nThere are a wide range of aromas and flavours, including cherry, jam, red fruit and coffee. There\u2019s a lot to take in.<\/span><\/h4>\n
A nice balance of oak, new and old, French and American, makes the wine incredibly harmonious and balanced!<\/span><\/h4>\n
Substitute #3: Sumptuous Somontano<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Enate Cabernet Merlot<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a>It\u2019s the typical <\/span>Bordeaux blend<\/span><\/a> of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, though is distinctly Spanish in style!<\/span><\/p>\nFull of flavour and body and with high acidity, this is a superb alternative to a <\/span>Rioja Crianza<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/h4>\n
Its 88-point score from Gu\u00eda Pe\u00f1\u00edn gives this one a very good quality\/price ratio!<\/span><\/h4>\n