Joven Pronunciation: hove-in
Joven wine is a Spanish wine classification used in Rioja. Joven means “young” in Spanish. These are wines made to be released for sale quickly with bright, fresh flavors.
What’s Joven Wine Made From?
Joven wines can be blends or single-varietal wines. Most joven red wines will have Tempranillo grapes, the classic Spanish red wine grape.
What’s Joven Wine Taste Like?
Joven wine showcases the wine’s bright primary fruit. Expect to taste berries, herbs, floral notes, and maybe even some minerality depending on the grapes and growing regions. You won’t taste evidence of oak aging or flavors that come from aging, like vanilla, spice, leather, or dried fruit.
Here are a few wine descriptors for Joven wine taken from Joven Rioja red wine tasting notes:
- raspberries
- red currants spices
- gentle hints of flowers
- slight mineral undertones
- fruity and fresh
Helpful Tip: Looking for more complex wines? Here’s a breakdown of Rioja wine aging requirements and what the different categories taste like: Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva.
Joven Wine Price: Affordable
Expect to pay around $10 USD for most joven wines in the US market. Joven wines are typically less expensive than other Rioja styles that have more aging. This is for two reasons: 1) Joven wines don’t go through oak aging, which is expensive, and 2) Joven wines are released for sale early, which means lower production costs than other wines.
Helpful Tip: Check out this full post that goes over how much it costs to age wine in oak barrels. Fascinating economics here.
What to Pair with Joven Wine
Joven wines have bright acidity and chewy tannins. Pair joven wine with foods that have acid, salt, protein, and fat. Good options are tomato-based dishes like pizza and spaghetti, and earthy dishes, like lentils and smoked nuts.
Where’s Joven Wine Made?
Joven wines are made in the Rioja region of Spain. Check out the curious history of how Rioja wine came to be so famous (a personal favorite).
Thirsty for More?
Check out this full post on Spanish red wines you should be drinking.
Here’s a quick overview of the color coding system for Rioja wines.
