Viña Alberdi La Rioja Alta Reserva Review | A Good Time for a Solid Pour

Big changes are coming to Stop Wasting Your Wine! In this episode, Colin, Joel, and Aaron unveil an exciting new format: monthly wine challenges. Each month, the hosts will pick wines based on a specific theme, with three weeks of competitive tastings followed by a wildcard week featuring interviews with wine industry pros or special features.For February's inaugural challenge, the crew tackles finding the sexiest bottle of wine under $30. A task that proves more difficult than expected. Aaron shares his hour-long odyssey through Total Wine, searching Italian and French sections before settling on a romantic Rioja with "sexy trees." Joel takes a more literal interpretation of "sexy," while the hosts debate what makes a bottle truly appealing beyond the liquid inside.The episode also features a lively discussion about wine cocktails, specifically whether it's acceptable to use good Rioja for sangria. The hosts explore the difference between honoring a wine's craftsmanship and enjoying it in creative ways, leading to the question: is a better base wine the key to a better cocktail?Wine DetailsProducer: Viña AlberdiRegion: RiojaVarietal or Blend: 100 percent TempranilloVintage: 2020Price Range: About $22ABV: 14 percentBuy us a glass!⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/cheers3⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with the show. We would love to hear from you!Stop Wasting Your Wine on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/stopwastingyourwine/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stop Wasting Your Wine on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@StopWastingYourWine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Stop Wasting Your Wine Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://stopwastingyourwine.com/⁠⁠Chapters0:00 – Welcome to Stop Wasting Your Wine0:17 – New Monthly Challenge Format Explained1:24 – February Challenge: Sexiest Bottle Under $303:46 – The Reality of Shopping for a “Sexy” Wine4:57 – Aaron’s Pick: Viña Alberdi Rioja Reserva7:55 – First Impressions and Bottle Expectations8:24 – Nosing the Wine9:59 – Tasting Notes and Palate Breakdown12:53 – Learning Segment: Tempranillo and Rioja15:29 – What Reserva Aging Really Means18:04 – Introducing the New Rating Tier: Solid Pour22:46 – Final Ratings and Verdict26:53 – Did Aaron Nail the Challenge29:16 – I’m Wine With That: Should You Make Sangria With Rioja34:06 – Feedback and Where to Find Us34:49 – Outro