Spritzer Spritzer A spritzer is a tall, chilled drink, usually made with white wine and carbonated water or sparkling mineral water. "Spritzer" is derived from the variant of the German language spoken in Austria, where the drink is very popular. It is used alongside the equally common form "Gespritzter" (mostly pronounced "G'spritzter", a noun derived from the past participle of "spritzen", i.e. squirt), a term also found in some German regions, such as Hessen (e.g. "Süssgespritzter", i.e. a "sweet spritzer" using fizzy lemonade instead of soda water ("Sauergespritzter")). In most of Germany, the word "Schorle" is used to denote a Spritzer.
Rioja (wine) Rioja (wine) Rioja [] is a wine region in Spain, with "Denominación de Origen Calificada" (D.O.Ca., "Qualified Designation of Origin"). Rioja wine is made from grapes grown in the autonomous communities of La Rioja and Navarre, and the Basque province of Álava. Rioja is further subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. Many wines have traditionally blended fruit from all three regions, though there is a slow growth in single-zone wines. The harvesting of wine in La Rioja has an ancient lineage with origins dating back to the Phoenicians and the Celtiberians. The earliest written evidence