Campo Viejo, Rioja DOC (Spain) Garnacha 2020

 This is the sort of wine that could help many more wine lovers around the world learn how different Garnacha/Grenache from Rioja can be by comparison to renditions from southern France, Australia, or the appellations in Spain’s Aragón region.  Light and bright and full of fresh red fruit notes, a wine like this can fulfill all the purposes usually filled by Pinot – but with a lower price and routinely higher quality even at a low price like $11.  Savory undertones lend real interest in this release, providing compelling interplay with the fruit notes, which recall pie cherries that are slightly sweet but also pleasingly tart.