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Are you planning to have some snacks like nuts, olives or pickles? We recommend a light wine that contrasts with the sour, salty taste of the food. Our El Coto Semidulce would be a great option, with the citrus and pineapple aromas typical of the Chardonnay grape, bringing a touch of sweetness to your snacks. If you prefer a drier wine, you can also go for El Coto Selección Viñedos Sauvignon Blanc.

Oh cheese! If you’re like us and love this delicious creation, you’ll need to know which wines to pair with it. There are loads of types of cheese, so the key is to think about its flavour, which depends on how it has been aged. So, younger cheese pairs best with white wine, aged cheese with Crianza red like El Coto Crianza and blue cheese with young red wine to offset the intensity of flavour.

Salads and vegetable dishes are great with wines that have a touch of acidity, such as whites and rosés. One good option is El Coto Rosado made with Tempranillo and Grenache grapes. Its fresh flavour pairs perfectly with this type of recipe.

Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes, served with other foods and a wide variety of sauces. So, to pair these dishes properly you have to focus on the main flavour. For example, for pasta with a tomato-based sauce like Bolognese, with a strong, acidic flavour, you’ll do best with a young or Crianza red wine. A seafood pasta, however, will pair beautifully with white or rosé. If cheese is the main flavour, use the tips above based on the type of cheese.

Rice is similar to pasta. For seafood rice dishes, the best pairing is a dry white wine. Our barrel-fermented 875 m Chardonnay goes great with a seafood paella, with its luscious butteriness. On the other hand, rice dishes with meat or other strong flavours pair perfectly with red wine.

There’s no question that the best wine for seafood is white. However, it can also pair well with rosé wines with some acidity. In our case, we recommend the 875 m again, or our El Coto Blanco. You won’t go wrong with either one! We recommend checking the tasting notes, though, so you can pick the one that best suits your preferences.

As we said at the beginning, fish is normally associated with white wine. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. It depends on the type of fish and how it is prepared. White fish done simply is best with a white wine. However,  if the fish is stewed or served with a sauce, it could be paired with a fuller wine, like a rosé or a red. For oily fish, though, you can also consider pairing the dish with red wines like the ones from Rioja.

White meat like chicken goes best with white wines or light reds, depending on the recipe. For game birds, however, like duck or squab, it is much better to choose a powerful red like our Coto Real Reserva or Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva.

Red meat and red wine, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva, are a match made in heaven, enhancing the flavour of the meat. But who says it doesn’t work with whites, too? For example, our Coto Imaz Reserva Blanco, with its complex aromas and butteriness, is great with game, red meat and beef.

Finally, it’s time for dessert! That sweet bite that some dream of throughout the whole meal. Which wine would be the perfect pairing? A semisweet like ours is perfect for the sweetest desserts and those with more acidity, from fruit, or bitterness, from cacao.

And now that’s clear, it’s time for the fun part: toasting and enjoying the meal. Bon appétit!

Looking for something fun to do? Hosting a wine tasting at home can be a fun way to learn about wine while spending time with friends and family. We’ll give you step-by-step instructions for maximum enjoyment.

Before you get started, though, remember it’s important to be responsible. Given the current situation, private gatherings are still limited to a certain number of people in many regions. So, if you decide to host a wine tasting, make sure you follow local rules to avoid risks. And better yet, try to do it in a spacious, well-ventilated space, or even outdoors.

That said, let’s get to it! We’ll tell you everything you need to know for a great day with friends or family, with wine as the star. Your guests will surely have a great time.

Wine is an essential part of this plan, so we recommend you start your planning by choosing the type of wine you want to taste. First of all, you have to decide whether you want to taste several wines made from the same grape, or different ones. Red, white or rosé? From several D.O. or just one? If you aren’t experts, if might be best to taste different types of wine. That way it will be easier to observe their nuances.

To simplify a bit, you could choose several wines from the same winery. This is called a horizontal tasting. If you wanted to try different vintages of the same wine, that would be a vertical tasting. At El Coto, we have a wide variety of wines from D.O.Ca. Rioja that make for a high-quality, well-rounded tasting.

After you choose the wine, another thing you have to decide is how you want to taste it. There are different styles to choose from, depending on what you want to achieve and the participants’ preferences. We’ll explain a few of them:

– Open tasting: participants know which wines they are tasting and get a short explanation from the host. After tasting, they share their opinions. This can be the best option for beginners.

– Blind tasting: if you’re looking to make things a bit more exciting, you can do a blind tasting by covering the label and trying to guess what type of wine it is based on the aromas and flavours. You can even close your eyes so the colour of the wine doesn’t give you any clues.

– Tasting in pairs: another way to make the tasting more original is to do it in pairs. So, with a partner, participants taste each wine and discuss their opinions before sharing with the rest of the group.

Whichever style you choose, it’s important that you or another one of the participants takes the role of sommelier to explain everything to the others. If you don’t know much about wine, it’s best to do some research on the wines you’re going to be tasting beforehand.

You’ll find all the information you need on our wines in our online shop.

You already which wines you’ll taste and how. Now it’s time to think about where you want to have the tasting, in the living room or kitchen, or even on a terrace or in the garden. In making your choice, remember to take into account how many guests you will have and make sure the location has:

• Enough space for everyone to sit comfortably.
• A large table or several tables together.
• A chair for each guest.
• A neutral smell, so it won’t affect the tasting.

Now that all of that’s decided, it’s time to get into the details and see what you’ll need to make your home tasting a success. And to help, we’ve got this list for you.

• Number of bottles of wine: three or four bottles tends to be a good amount for a tasting. But it’s important to take into account the number of guests and how many wines you want to taste.
• Number of glasses: it’s best to have one glass per guest for each wine. So, if there are four of you and you’re going to taste three wines, you need twelve glasses. Plus, we recommend using the right type of glass for each wine. Don’t know which goes with which? We explain it all in this article on which type of glass to use with each wine. [Link to article “Which glass for each wine]. If you don’t have enough glasses, no problem. Just wash them between wines!
• Ice bucket big enough to keep the wines you’re going to taste at the right temperature.
• Corkscrew: you won’t get anywhere without it! If there are a lot of bottles, better to have more than one.
• Paper and a pen for each participant to write their tasting notes after trying the wines.
• Water and a glass for each participant to refresh their palate between tastings.

In addition to all of that, your tasting has to have some tasty snacks to go with the wine. It doesn’t have to be a lot or an elaborate production. In fact, that would be counterproductive as it could overshadow the wine. But there should be something for your guests to nibble on while they’re tasting.

And, of course, the snacks should pair well with the wines you’ve chosen. So, here are some options that go well with our wines.

• El Coto Crianza is the perfect pairing for meat and fish, so for a tasting you can serve it with good Ibérico ham, chorizo, cured pork loin and/or aged cheese.
• El Coto Blanco goes great with seafood and fish. So you can have it with cockles, mussels, anchovies, or bonito or salmon bruscetta.
• El Coto Rosado with salads, pickles or veggie bruscetta, like tomato or baby greens.
• El Coto Semidulce pairs perfectly with mild cheese, fruit and desserts.

Did you get that? Now you just have to start planning your amazing wine tasting. Enjoy!

There’s no categorical answer to these questions. We recommend storing the bottles you’re going to drink in the next few days or weeks upright so that any sediment will fall to the bottom of the bottle. It’s different if you’re going to be storing wine for a long time at home.

Have you ever visited a winery? Well, if you have, you’ve probably seen that our bottles are stored on their side. We do this because it keeps the cork in contact with the wine at all times, which helps preserve the taste and aromas of the wine. This way, the cork never dries out, making it more flexible and airtight.

The only exception is sparkling wines, because they have carbonic gas that tends to rise, keeping the cork damp.

Not everyone has the space or budget for a temperature-controlled wine cellar at home, which is highly recommended if you’re truly a wine-lover and always have several bottles at home. So? How do you store it?

The most important thing is to make sure the wine isn’t exposed to temperature changes. We know it’s hard, but the best is to keep the bottles at a constant 10 °C – 16 °C. The warmer the room, the harder it is to keep them in good condition, as heat accelerates the ageing process.

If you have a basement or garage, where it tends to be cooler and damper with a more stable temperature than the rest of the house, that’s the best place to store wine at home. If you’re going to store wine in the kitchen, keep it as far as possible from heat sources like the microwave or oven, and out of any drafts that could cause sharp temperature changes.

Another thing to consider is light, both natural and artificial. Try to store your wine in the darkest space possible because it can get ‘light strike’ as light reacts with the riboflavin in the wine.

If you can’t keep them out of the light completely, we recommend putting your bottles in a wooden box, like the one our Coto de Imaz Reserva pack comes in.

Another question we tend to ask when buying wine is how long it should be kept before drinking? Well, this is more complicated because you have to factor in several things, such as the type of grape, age, vintage, ageing of the wine, etc. And most importantly, how it is stored.

As a general rule:

– Drink young wines within a year of being harvested.

– Drink Crianza wines, like our El Coto Crianza, within five years.

– Drink Reserva or Gran Reserva wines, such as our Coto Real Reserva, within 10 or 15 years.

But, as we’ve said, this really depends on all sorts of factors, so it’s best to ask the professional you buy the bottle or bottles from, at the shop or winery, for their suggestions. A properly stored Crianza will be fine after more than 5 years, for example.

If you aren’t going to finish the whole bottle, make sure to store it properly so it will still taste great when you come back to it. It’s best to keep the wine at a stable temperature. So don’t put it in the fridge, wine cooler or outside if you’re going to drink it at 18 °C the next day.

You can put the same cork back in, tightly, or use a vacuum or standard stopper. Then keep it upright. To make sure the wine will have the same flavour and characteristics, you should drink it within 24-48 hours.

Our first suggestion for a gift any wine-lover will adore is an accessory to go with wine or that anyone who enjoys a good bottle will love.

Here are a few ideas of accessories and trinkets for wine-lovers and a short explanation of what each one is for:

• Vacuum pump: this device sucks the air out of a wine bottle, creating a vacuum.
• Stopper: some are simple and others hermetic, with a better seal. They’re used to close the bottle tightly, instead of the cork, so the wine will last longer. There are loads of fun ones, in all shapes and colours, and others that are more elegant, with a silver finish, for example.
• Pourer: the simplest ones help you pour the wine properly, without dripping. They’re easy to clean and can be reused. There are also others that help aerate the wine as it is served.
• Cooler sleeve: for those who prefer sparkling or white wines, a cooler sleeve is a great gift!
• Books on wine: finally, another amazing option is a book on wine. You can find loads of interesting titles like ‘Tras las viñas’ by Josep Roca and Inma Puig, or ‘La cata de vinos’ by Lluís Manel.

Another Christmas gift for a wine-lover is a gift pack with several bottles. They’re sure to enjoy it and thank you for it! We have several gift packs you can choose from, depending on the person’s preferences:

• Wooden box with 6 bottles El Coto Crianza: our essential must-have is a great option if you want to give a sure bet. You can’t go wrong! Our Crianza is the perfect wine to open any time during the holidays.
• Pack 3 bottles Coto de Imaz Reserva: our great Reserva wine, made with Tempranillo grapes, is perfect for those who enjoy a fuller wine.
• Pack of 2 bottles 875 m: this young wine, made of Chardonnay and Tempranillo grapes, is the perfect gift for anyone who loves discovering new young wines that have a lot to say. Our 875 m has floral and tropical fruit aromas that enchant anyone who tries it.
• Wooden box 6 bottles El Coto Reserva 50 aniversario: this wine is, without question, the most special gift you can give this Christmas. Why? Because it is the first Reserva we’ve made of our El Coto, with just 3,000 bottles produced to commemorate our 50th anniversary. There’s nothing more special or exclusive!

These are just some of our gift packs. Want to see them all?

Another idea for a present for someone who loves wine is a bottle rack. Think about how much space they have at home and how many bottles they normally have on hand when deciding the size and capacity of the rack: 10 bottles, 25 or even 75. In terms of the materials and format, there is a whole range of options to choose from! You can go for a simpler one in wood for a more classic look or in chrome with a more spectacular shape for those with more modern tastes.

If you have a bit more to spend: a wine fridge would be a great option! Wines are best when stored on their side at a constant temperature, ours included.

We love this gift! Even though we can’t do it yet …

Giving experiences is always fun, and if they’re related to wine: even better! You can give a visit to several wineries, one winery with a tasting, a weekend getaway to La Rioja to enjoy El Coto… They’re sure to love it!

For the full experience without leaving home, a Christmas present for someone who loves wine and good food is: a full pack of cured meats, cheeses and wines! You can buy it ready-made or put it together yourself, choosing each item, for a gift that is very special and personal.

We recommend any of the Ibérico products from Dehesa Barón de Ley, such as the salchichón ibérico, chorizo ibérico or acorn-fed ham. You can pair them with any of our red wines, although don’t think a white wine is totally out of the question. Not at all!

Our Coto Imaz Reserva Blanco, with its complex aromas and butteriness, is great with game, red meat and beef. Dare to try this combination?

And now the final suggestion on our list of gift ideas for wine-lovers! This one is very flexible as a gift on its own (for a Secret Santa, for example) or with another gift.

Choose a pretty, good-quality set of glasses. But, most importantly, choose a set that is right for the type of wine they normally drink.

Want to know which glass to choose based on their favourite wine? Don’t miss this article with all the tips you need!

Believe it or not, each wine has its glass and it’s more important than it seems for enjoying the wine to its fullest. This is because the shape of the container the wine is served in can affect its colour, aroma and taste, and therefore our perception of the wine. That’s why we have some tips to help you choose the best option for each of type, thinking about all those special celebration that will surely become indelible moments. Take note!

Before going into the details of which glass is best for each type of wine, it’s important to note why wine is served in stemware and not a drinking glass. Even though you may have had it that way in the past because you didn’t have any wine glasses (it’s happened to all of us!), you should know it isn’t the best option.

That’s because a wine glass has two main characteristics that make it perfect for wine. First of all, the stem and the foot, so you can hold it without your hands warming up the contents of the glass. Plus, it means the sides of the glass don’t get all smudged and you can enjoy the colour of the wine as you drink it. So, it’s best if the wine glass is made of plain glass and doesn’t have any texture.

Also, the bowl of the wine glass, which is wider at the bottom than at the top, helps keep in the wine’s aromas so they don’t all dissipate at once. This is the main reason different wines do best in certain types of glasses. With these general concepts in mind, now we’ll look at which glass should be used with the main types of wine, and why.

Red wine is powerful in taste, so it needs a bigger glass where it will get lots of air. So, it is most commonly served in Bordeaux or Burgundy wine glasses. They both have a wide, round-bottomed bowl that allows wine to swirl easily and get properly aerated.

The Bordeaux wine glass is the most common style. Its lip is a bit wider than a Burgundy wine glass, which means the wine flows from the centre, reducing the bitter notes from the tannins in the wine. This type of glass is best for young and Crianza red wines.

The Burgundy wine glass has more volume at the bottom of the bowl and a narrower lip, which concentrates the aromas and makes them easier to smell. So, it’s perfect for Crianza or Reserva wines, which are more intense in both flavour and smell.

White wine is lighter and fresher than red, so it needs a smaller glass. The perfect option is similar to the Bordeaux glass but with a smaller, straighter bowl. This way, the lip of the glass is wider than you need for red wine, which boosts the freshness and sweet notes white wine is known for.

Plus, a smaller glass keeps the wine from getting too much oxygen and keeps it cold longer, which is essential for enjoying all of its qualities. If it is an older white wine, a taller, straighter bowl is recommended to bring out its flavour.

What do you think? Have you been doing it right? Of course, on top of these more common wine glasses, there are more specific designs for other types, like sweet wines, which are often served in glasses with a wider bowl and narrower lip, or Sherry wines, which are served in flutes like the ones used for sparkling wines but with a shorter stem. You don’t need a whole arsenal of wine glasses to enjoy a good wine, though. Just the classics are enough.

Now that you have all this information and know which glass to choose, all you need is the wine. Cheers!

Choosing wine isn’t always an easy task. So if buying a bottle always has you doubting and, in the end, you choose the only one that looks familiar, take note! Here are the tips you need to choose wine like an expert.

Whether for a family meal, date or just a treat for yourself, knowing how to choose a good wine can be a very useful skill. So, we’ve prepared a short guide with all the key things to look for when buying a bottle. A lot of the information, as you’ll see, is on the label. So learning how to read them will come in handy.

It’s important to note, though, that there is a subjective side to wine, as with nearly everything, that is completely determined by personal preference. So just because it’s a good wine doesn’t mean everyone will like it. You can adapt these tips to your personal tastes to go for a quality wine. Here we go!

The first decision you have to make in choosing a good wine is whether you want a red, white or rosé. This has more to do with external factors than with the wine itself. First of all, the meal you’re going to have it with. So, light meals like salads and fish pair better with a white wine. For meat or stews, a red. But look at the label, some wines come with pairing tips that can be helpful. The second factor to take into account is the weather. When it’s warmer, we feel like having lighter, fresher wines like whites or sparkling rosés.

Finally, don’t forget the personal preference of the drinkers. Regardless of the previous points, if you know someone doesn’t really enjoy a specific type of wine, it’s better to go for something different.

Once you’ve chosen whether to have red, white or rosé, it’s time to look at other details to make sure you get a quality wine. A good sign of a good wine is a quality seal, like the Denominación de Origen (or D.O. – the Spanish system of geographic-based quality control designations). The D.O. is normally found on the front and back labels, and it must have the official seal of the Consejo Regulador de Denominación de Origen (the organization that oversees quality in the region), certifying that the wine has been made in that region exclusively from grapes grown there.

This is a guarantee of quality when choosing a wine because the D.O. only grants its seal to those with specific characteristics and quality that can only be achieved in the place where it was made, to wines that have been recognized as a product of that region for at least five years and enjoy a high level of prestige on the market. Spain has roughly 70 D.O., including D.O. Rioja, D.O. Ribera del Duero, D.O. Rueda and others.

But if you want to make sure you get a wine of even higher quality, get one with the Denominación de Origen Calificada (D.O.Ca. – the highest level in Spanish wine designations). To get this seal, a wine has to meet additional requirements, such as having been recognised by the D.O. for at least ten years, being bottled at wineries in the region and having a comprehensive system to control quality from production through to sale, including chemical and sensory properties, among others.

Apart from the D.O. seal, on a good bottle of wine you’ll also find information on the grape variety or varieties used to make it. These determine the taste and texture of the wine. There are many types of grapes, but the most common red-wine grape in Spain is called Tempranillo. It got this name because it ripens earlier (temprano in Spanish) than other red varieties. It’s a grape without too much acidity and its taste is reminiscent of forest berries. Internationally, one of the most common red-wine grapes is Cabernet Sauvignon.

Among white wines, the Verdejo grape stands out, and is one of the oldest varieties in Spain. Others include Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Sound familiar, right?

In terms of grapes, you’ll find three types of wine: monovarietals are wines made from a single grape variety, varietals are made from at least 80% of the listed grape variety, and blends have more than one type of grape variety in varying percentages.

Finally, you may also find information on the vintage. This is the year the grapes were harvested, which can tell you about the weather conditions when they were ripening, whether they were optimal or not, which affects the quality of the wine.

The age of the wine is also a key element. You’ll find this on the label, with terms like:

• Joven (young): wines bottles right after fermentation. They are fresher and more fruit-driven. They don’t last as long, so it’s important to make sure they aren’t more than a year old.
• Crianza: wines aged for three years, with at least one year in oak barrels. They have a stronger flavour and more aromas. For white wines, they must be barrel-aged for at least six months.
• Reserva: aged at least three years before bottling, with at least one year in the barrel, plus six-months bottle ageing. They have more structure and stronger aromas. For white wines, the ageing is two years, with at least six months in the barrel.
• Gran Reserva: these wines are normally from exceptional harvests and are aged for 60 months, with at least two years in the barrel and two years in the bottle. For white wines, the ageing is four years, with at least six months in the barrel.

When choosing a wine it is important to remember that the older it is, the more flavour and body it will have. We have a variety of options in terms of quality in our wines, with something for everyone.

Yes, you read that right, cork size does matter when choosing a wine. The longer the cork, the better. This is because it helps preserve the wine and lets it improve with age. A long cork helps keep out bacteria and is easier to remove or twist every so often.

Some wines, especially whites, also have information on how sweet they are. This, of course, depends on how much sugar is in the wine. Semi-sweet and sweet wines are great to have with appetizers, fruit, cheese and dessert.

You’ll find how much alcohol is in the wine on its back label. This is given as a percentage of the total volume and varies depending on the type of grape and fermentation conditions. Most wines, however, fall between 10% and 14%.

As with anything, you may think the more expensive a wine, the better the quality. But that isn’t always the case because, as we’ve said, the quality of a wine depends on many different factors. In Spain, we’re fortunate to have high-quality wines at very competitive prices. So, we recommend you look at the points above, within your price range.

Summing up, to know if you’re looking at a good bottle of wine, it’s important to look for a quality seal like the D.O., to pay attention to the grape variety and vintage so you’ll know what the weather was like when they were growing, to look at the cork, and to take into account other factors like the age of the wine, alcohol level and price. Of course, the most important thing is to taste it and see if the wine has the right flavours and aromas, and if you like it.

Are you considering buying wine online and don’t know where to start? We’ve been shopping online for years now. But, thanks to the pandemic, in 2020 it became more a part of our lives than ever. So, if you want to start enjoying good wine without leaving home, you’ll want to read this list of tips. And take notes!

Whether for a family lunch or dinner, or as a gift, buying wine online can get you out of a tight spot when you don’t have time or can’t get to a shop and you’re looking for something special and different. Before you get started, though, we recommend you keep in mind the following tips to make sure you do it safely and get it right.

This is key for anything you buy online, not just wine. Even for prestigious brands, make sure you check that it is an official website before handing over your card details to avoid any risks or scams. How? The first thing is to check the shop’s web address starts with http:// or https://, which means it’s on a secure server. Plus, there should be a little picture of a lock to the left of it, showing that it’s a secure connection and that the information you send to this website is private.

Apart from that, there are other elements of the website you can look at, such as the privacy policy, secure payment certificate and conditions of sale, among others. A full website with quality content is also a good sign that the people in charge are professionals.

Once you’ve made sure the website you’re going to buy from is secure, then you have to check that the wine they sell is good quality. Quality seals, like the D.O., are a good guide. They show that the quality of the wine is controlled by a regulatory board before it is sold to verify its origin and prestige. Spain has more than 70 D.O., including D.O. Rioja, D.O. Ribera del Duero, D.O. Rueda and others.

If you want to make sure the wine is even higher quality, go for wines with the D.O.Ca. seal. These have to meet high quality standards for a long time. To get a D.O.Ca. seal, the wines have to overcome three hurdles:

• Be recognised by the D.O. for more than ten years.
• Have a comprehensive system to control quality from production through to sale.
• Be bottled at wineries registered in the geographic region they belong to.

In addition to the quality seal, it’s important that the site you’re going to buy from includes all the information you would find on the label, which will help you choose a wine that fits your taste. From the age of the wine (Joven, Crianza, Reserva, etc.) to the type of grape (Tempranillo, Grenache, Verdejo, etc.) to its alcohol content, serving temperature, tasting notes and pairing suggestions. This makes it much easier to choose between wines.

On top of the brand’s description of the wine, it’s good to see what other users think of it. A quality website will always have a reviews section where customers can express and share their opinions on the products. It can be very useful in clearing up any little doubts you may have, for example about its flavour.

If you want a specific wine and are buying it from a multi-brand shop, we recommend checking on the winemaker’s official website. If they have one, you might find it at a more competitive price or some sort of discount.

Many online shops have a section for special deals or gift packs that can be very interesting. For example, you might get free shipping if you spend over a certain amount. So it could be worth buying more than one bottle and saving on shipping. If you’re buying wine as a gift, you might find options at a better price and in special boxes.

Did you get that? We hope you buy some good wine and enjoy toasting with it when it arrives.

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Sometimes you have to get very high to make a dream come true.

In recent years, El Coto de Rioja has made a firm commitment to Rioja white wines, both in the vineyards, with flagship estate Finca Carbonera, and at the winery, building a specific facility for making white wines.

Fruit of this commitment, in 2017 the winery launched El Coto Semi-sweet, which has been well received on the market right from the start. Initially, the image for this wine continued in the same line as the rest of the El Coto range. But for this new vintage, we’ve decided to turn it on its head. So, we’re proud to present this new image, with a fresher, more floral design that better reflects the product. As it is still based around an engraving, however, the new design preserves the essence of the El Coto identity. The concept is based on a hypothetical zoom of the original engraving, allowing us to discover parts of it where these new floral elements can be found.