The 7 Best Rioja White Wines to Buy Now in 2026

CVNE winery founded its Contino brand in 1973, naming it for the contino, or head guard responsible for the safety of the royal family. Local legend has it that Saint Gregory once visited the estate and this wine is made from 20 percent Garnacha Blanca grapes grown in the vineyard bearing his name with the balance of 80 percent Viura sourced from the bodega’s other vineyards. Perhaps this is why this wine has an ethereal quality of lifted floral aromas, white chocolate, melon, and savory herbs. It is bold and bright with flavors of wet river rock, caramelized almonds, mango, guava, and a touch of refreshing salinity in the finish. 

El Pacto is aptly named for the winery’s commitment to preventing well-made wines from small villages from becoming scarce or even extinct. Its wines are crafted by hand, utilizing a small-scale operation and minimal machinery whenever possible. Alto Najerilla Blanco has aromas of freshly harvested straw, citrus blossoms, and lemon curd. Excellent, balanced acidity supports flavors of savory herbs, grapefruit pith, and tropical fruits.

Founded in Haro in 1932 by Issac Muga and Aurora Caño in the town’s historic Barrio de la Estacion, Bodegas Muga is well known for fine winemaking and generous hospitality. It’s one of the few places in Rioja you can ride an electric bike through the vineyards or soar high above the vines in a hot air balloon. The family’s Flor de Muga Reserva Blanco is a blend of 40 percent Viura, 30 percent Garnacha Blanca, and 30 percent Maturana Blanca. It has heady aromas of spice, cantaloupe, and peach with full bodied mouthfeel and flavors of bitter almond paste, nectarine, and apricot.

Villota is in the Rioja Alavesa on a bend in the Ebro River and covers roughly half a square mile. Founded by the Pérez Villota family in 1930, it boasts alluvial soils that combine clay, rocks, and pebbles with little organic material. The 2021 Rioja Blanca exhibits a strong vein of minerality in both the bouquet and on the palate. It is a blend of 85 percent Viura, 11 percent Garnacha Blanca, 2 percent Malvasia, and 2 percent Tempranillo Blanco. It was fermented and aged in 20 percent new French oak barrels which add a nice touch of oak that does not overpower the delicate fruit flavors. It has aromas of anise, almond paste, jasmine, and white stone fruits and flavors of pear, apple, and a touch of fennel frond in the long finish.

Roda takes its name from the Rotllant Daurella family who founded Bodegas Roda in 1987 and has updated the facilities four times in 1991, 1996, 2000, and 2018 since its inception. The most recent refresh included a shift towards using renewable energy and optimizing energy efficiency. We’ve been following their red wines for years and are excited that the family began making a white wine in 2019, which we both loved. The 2022 growing season was equally as good and produced this stunning blend of Viura, Garnacha Blanca, and Malvasia. Medium straw colored in the glass, it has aromas of white peach, caramelized pineapple, and a touch of saline that leads to a luscious, full-bodied presence in the mid palate and flavors of pineapple upside down cake, canned peaches, and just a hint of salted caramel in the finish.

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Ask any collector about Spanish wines and the name Faustino will definitely come up in the conversation. That’s because Bodegas Faustino has been making some of Spain’s most recognizable bottles of Rioja wine for over 160 years. The company remains family run by Familia Martinez Zabala, currently in their fourth generation. Their 2020 Blanco is a blend of 58 percent Viura and 42 percent Chardonnay and is medium yellow colored in the glass with aromas of dried apricot, fresh white peach, and caramelized pineapple. It is full bodied in the mid palate with bright, balanced acidity and flavors of tropical fruits, canned peach, and freshly cut Anjou pear. 

Remírez de Ganuza was founded in 1989 in Samaniego, Alava in Rioja. The bodega has 197 acres of estate-owned vines that are divided into more than 70 individual fincas. These plots are located across the towns of Samaniego, Elvillar, Laguardia, Navaridas, Elciego, Leza, Labastida, San Vincente de la Sonsierra, and Ábalos. We have been big fans of their reds for years and are now really enjoying their whites. Made from Viura and Malvasia, this elegant bottle offers aromas of white citrus flowers, mandarin orange peel, and Anjou pear. It is full bodied with balanced acidity and flavors of dried herbs, pear, and savory lemon custard.