Therefore tempranillo wines from Rioja and elsewhere in Spain are often blended with other Spanish varieties like grenache and carignan and more recently also cabernet sauvignon to increase acidity and provide structure.

Typical aromas and flavors we find in these wines are dark berries, earthy leather and minerals.

In Shanghai, you can find some deliciously deep and complex Rioja Crianzas from the two historic producers Marques de Riscal and Muga. Both wineries played important roles in building the reputation of Rioja as one of the world's great wine regions and make excellent wines that are still quite reasonably priced.

Other wineries that make consistently good Rioja Crianzas include El Coto and Ibericos from the Torres family. Generally medium-bodied, these balanced wines are among the world's most consistently good red wines with abundant Spanish character.

Another feature of Rioja Crianza wines is they are very food friendly. It's no surprise that they pair perfectly with traditional Spanish fair like roasted suckling pig and lamb, but they are also some of the best wines to enjoy with traditional Chinese meat dishes.

I highly recommend enjoying them with northern China style BBQ lamb, Cantonese suckling pig, roasted duck and pigeon as well as Nanjing smoked duck. In each case the tannins of the wine will facilitate digestion of the fattiness of the meat leaving your palate clean and better able to taste the savory qualities of the meat.

The dark fruit, leather and oak flavors of the wine also add intriguing flavor dimensions to the meat. Overall, the combination of roasted meat and Rioja Crianza wines is a recipe for happiness.