Luis Canas, Rioja Blanco Vinas Viejas, Rioja, Spain

Incredibly in the 1970’s it was extremely unusual for winemakers in Rioja Alavesa, a cooler, damper subregion of the Rioja area, up by the Sierra Cantabria, to bottle wines themselves rather than sell in bulk to other producers or merchants. Luis Canas was one of the first to do so and used to distribute himself too, heading up to Bilbao to sell direct to bars and restaurants. This innovative spirit has continued and the bodega is now recognised as one of Rioja’s premium producers. Luis Canas senior himself is now in his eighties but still rocks up for a glass and a few olives every lunchtime while his son, Juan Luis, focuses on producing fantastic quality fruit and not whacking it with excess oak ageing.

This wine is mainly Viura grape, the workhorse white of Spain but with a dash of Malvasia, a properly grape smelling grape. Barrel fermentation and a short period of oak maturation has given it a lovely touch of wood. Fantastic with smoked salmon, mixed tapas and as an aperitif.