There’s a little secret that Rioja veterans have known for years: When everyone else is rushing for the red, the white hides quietly in the corner, shimmering gold in the glass. The moment you pour a truly excellent white Rioja, you feel like you’ve stepped off the beaten tourist trail and found a hidden tapas bar that locals whisper about.
From the cool high-altitude plots of the Alavesa to the traditional oak-aged styles of Rioja Alta, these wines are quietly rewriting what we expect from the region. They bring citrus and orchard fruit, herbal lifts, lees texture, and more “oh, wow” moments than you’d guess.
And in a world where everyone knows Chardonnay and Sauvignon, white Rioja is that sly contender that feels fresh, bold, and understated all at once.
Creaciones Exeo Cifras Garnacha Blanca
Imagine a mountain morning in Rioja Alavesa: light mist lifting off clay-rich slopes, Garnacha Blanca clusters gleaming. In the glass, you’ll find zesty grapefruit, lemon chiffon, and salty minerality: clean but layered.
The texture glides across your palate, thanks to lees ageing in concrete eggs, giving depth without wood-dominance. It’s a crisp, modern white Rioja that delivers character, precision, and place in every sip.
Vintage: NV
Grapes: Garnacha Blanca
Size: 750 ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find Here: £27
Nivarius Finca La Nevera 2018
On the cool heights of Rioja’s Valle del Iregua, the vines for Nivarius Finca La Nevera stretch skywards. The 100% Maturana Blanca wine is stainless-steel bright yet aged, 36 months on lees.
You’ll find pear, quince, a herbal breeze, and subtle saline chiselling the finish. It’s fresh, structured, and quietly daring. If you thought white Rioja was mild, this one will make you rethink that notion.
Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Maturana Blanca
Size: 750 ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find Here: £34
Bodegas Perica Finca Valdelascarretas 2020
Picture a golden sunset over Rioja’s vineyards, and you’ll feel the mood of Finca Valdelascarretas. Made from only Viura and given 15 months in French oak, it opens with tangerine peel, peach, and almond, then eases into brioche and saline lifts.
Creamy yet racy, luxurious yet approachable, it’s Rioja craftsmanship at its refined best.
Vintage: 2020
Grapes: Viura
Size: 750 ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find Here: £38
Finca Valpiedra Reserva Blanco 2018
This feels like the white Rioja you serve when you want to impress. With Viura, White Garnacha, Malvasía, and Maturana in the mix, and two years of ageing in oak and granite amphora, it’s richly aromatic: apricot, incense, cedar.
The palate is broad, savoury, textured, and long. It’s built for a roast chicken or grilled fish, a white that doesn’t shy away from bold flavour and staying power.
Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Viura, White Garnacha, Malvasía, White Maturana
Size: 750 ml
ABV: 12%
Find Here: £22
Bodegas Luis Cañas Rioja Blanco Viñas Viejas 2023
This one is the white Rioja with an old-vine pedigree and easy charm. Viura and Malvasía from 65-year-old bush vines give it gravitas; five-month ageing in new oak and concrete adds finesse.
Bright gold in the glass, this wine shows citrus, white flowers, and hazelnut structure. It strikes a beautiful balance between fresh liveliness and serious texture. Shellfish, risotto, or solo, it shifts comfortably between roles.
Vintage: 2023
Grapes: Viura, Malvasía
Size: 750 ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find Here: £18
Murua Blanco Fermentado en Barrica 2022
At the heart of Rioja Alta, the Murua Blanco Fermentado en Barrica captures what makes white Rioja compelling: depth, character, tradition. Viura, Malvasía, and White Grenache from older vines are aged nine months in oak, bringing floral and herbal notes: chamomile, fennel, and mineral tension.
It’s textural, thoughtful, and built for time. A sip now yields joy; a bottle in five years might yield revelation.
Vintage: 2022
Grapes: Viura, Malvasía, Garnacha Blanca
Size: 750 ml
ABV: 14%
FInd Here: £24
Tempranillo Blanco Brut Sparkling Fincas de Azabache N.V
If you want Rioja that pops in every sense, try this one. Made from Tempranillo Blanco via traditional method, it sparkles with white fruit, citrus zest, and fine floral aromas.
Vegan-friendly, sustainably made. The mousse is crisp, the finish playful, the moment celebratory. Serve it as aperitif or pair with creamy dishes; it’s Rioja with a refreshing twist.
Vintage: NV
Grapes: Tempranillo Blanco
Size: 750 ml
ABV: 11.5%
Find Here: £25
Viña Monty Viura 2018
Viña Monty Viura takes the slow road: 18 months in new French oak, 20 months in bottle. The result: vanilla, sweet quince, broad palate, gentle tannins. It is built like a red but glides like a white.
Ideal for fans of depth and evolution in the glass. You’ll want good company, slow conversation, and a bottle to open when dinner lingers till late.
Vintage: 2018
Grapes: Viura
Size: 750 ml
ABV: 13%
Price: £40
Why Should You Be Drinking White Rioja Now?
White Rioja is no longer the wallflower of Spanish wine; it’s stepping into the spotlight. What once was a niche curiosity is now showing serious versatility, from crisp mountainside expressions to oak-aged, textured wonders and even sparkling surprises.
Whether you’re after freshness to pair with seafood or bold structure for a special dinner, the eight wines above give you the spectrum. Pour one, listen to the story in the glass, and discover why white Rioja deserves your attention.
