What's hot in Rioja? The new guide from ambassador Aitor Maiztegui

Aitor Maiztegui. Photo courtesy of Aitor Maiztegui.

By Rachel Fellows

Published 06-March-2025

Interview / Spain

Star Wine List’s Basque Country Ambassador, Aitor Maiztegui, has selected six new Red Stars across Rioja – use our new guide to discover the best places to drink wine in the region.

Aitor Maiztegui is Head Sommelier at the three-Michelin-star Azurmendi restaurant, just outside of his native Bilbao. After training in London, San Sebastián and Madrid, he returned to his hometown to collaborate with chef Eneko Atxa, who first opened Azurmendi in 2005 and boasts five Michelin stars to his name.

Reporting for Star Wine List since December 2023, Aitor focuses on Rioja for his latest dispatch. He recommends for visitors to hire a car and explore its three sub-regions – Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental (previously known as Rioja Baja) – taking in their vineyards and wineries.

“It’s a region with a great diversity of soils and unique landscapes,” he says. “You can taste many different wines that are produced in the region along with its great gastronomy.”

And it’s not just individual wine estates where you’ll find the region’s elixir, as Aitor has noticed a marked trend across the area’s hospitality establishments, of championing local produce of all sorts – wine included. “The tendency is more and more towards wines from the region where the restaurant is located,” says Aitor. “Customers are more and more looking for local products, looking for the uniqueness and purity of the place, as well as for more fluid and versatile wines that can accompany all types of dishes.”

Aitor’s new Red Stars form our wine lover’s guide to Rioja, and were chosen for their shared “respect and love for wine. They are all restaurants with great wine lists, each one with its own style, but each one concerned about the care and good treatment of wine – in each of the places it is one of the most important parts.”

How has the region’s wine scene evolved since you joined Star Wine List, in 2023?

“I think that every year we are improving, especially in the selection of wines from the region. Each time, we find smaller and more interesting projects looking for the identity and the maximum purity of the wines. Each time, we find more diversity of producers and more styles of wines. Above all, the tendency is changing towards lighter wines – fresh and with less extraction – as people seek more versatile and gastronomic styles.”

How can a wine bar or restaurant impress you?

“I am looking for a balanced wine list that makes sense for the place, the type of restaurant and the gastronomy they offer; it should show the place’s own personality and not be repetitive. I want to see a place with its own style, with wines that are easy to understand and select.”