What's the appeal of Rioja?

Bodegas YsiosRioja is many things: a place, a brand, the birthplace of the Spanish language, a moderately unpronounceable word to non-Spanish speakers, the home of glorious wines. It’s also a wine region that’s still poorly understood.
My affection for Rioja runs deep. But my relationship with the region almost never happened. I first visited in 1998, when I won a scholarship for my WSET Diploma from the producer Freixenet, who generously sponsored a self-drive trip from Bilbao to Ba