During the Middle Ages, the region’s wine-making activity skyrocketed. After the king of Navarra brought the vine to the historical monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, monasteries took on a leading role. Monks ensured the high quality of the region’s wine, as they contributed to and enhanced the wine’s diffusion process. Because pilgrims were given the opportunity to taste the wine as they passed through these monasteries on their way to Santiago de la Compostela, Rioja’s wine quickly became famous.
Then, during the later Middle Ages, the region espoused the Bordeaux methods of wine production and began using wooden containers for the preservation of the wines. Then, when the phylloxera destroyed the crop yields of the Bordeaux region, the demand for Rioja wines increased dramatically. In response to this rise in demand, the governing body of Rioja hired a group of weathered French enologists to fully implement the winemaking techniques of Bordeaux into the Rioja region. Soon, many French viticulturists moved to Rioja and set up shop there.
Although the area was officially recognized in 1926, it was not until 1970 that the area was granted its Appellation of Origin DOP. The Appellation of Origin Rioja is divided into three sub zones: Rioja Baja, which extends to La Rioja and Navarra, Rioja Alta in La Rioja (Haro) and Rioja Alavesa, to the west of the province Alava, in the country of the Basques. The Ebro river runs through them, contributing to excellent vinicultural conditions. Then, in 1981, the region was designated with the esteemed title D.O. Calificada (D.O.Ca.), for its strict and efficient system of control.
The location is considered ideal for viniculture. The cultivation of vines stretches across the slopes and plains of the Ebro river valley. The Cantabria mountain chain is the natural boundary that protects the vines from strong cold, while also maintaining a dry climate. The zone is bordered by the cities of Haro and Alfaro, with a distance of120 km between the two. Here, we meet the most important wineries of the area.
The region’s most basic and well-known variety is the Tempranillo grape type, constituting 70% of Riojas vineyards, with a production that reaches about 58,177 hectares. This grape type produces wines with an intense color, along with an aroma characteristic of small wild fruit, such as gooseberries and blueberries.
The remaining 30% of the region’s vineyards are comprised of the Crianza grape type, a grape type that can be further broken down into the categories of "reserva" and “Gran Reserva.”
Crianza wines need about two years of aging, the first of which will be spent by the red wines in a barrel. For whites and roses, on the other hand, only six months is necessary.
Aside from the Tempranillo, the red Garnacha, Grαciano, Mazuela are also used. Remarkable white wines such as Malvasía and Garnacha blanca, are mainly produced by the Viura variety.
We suggest Famous Botegas: Historical houses such as Marqués de Cáceres with Gaudium, Roda with Cirsion,Muga with Torre Muga, Marqués de Murrieta with Dalmau, Lan, Vinos de los hros.del Marqués de Riscal, with the homonymous wines of the houses Primicia with Curium, Artadi, Faustino Martínez, Viña Tondonia, etc.
