Rioja () is a wine region in Spain, with denominación de origen calificada (D.O.Ca., 'Qualified Designation of Origin', the highest category in Spanish wine regulation). 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 Oriental and Rioja Alavesa. Many wines have traditionally blended fruit from all three regions, though there is a slow growth in single-zone wines.
History
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 of the existence of the grape in La Rioja dates to 873, in the form of a document from the Public Notary of San Millán dealing with a donation to the San Andrés de Trepeana (Treviana) Monastery. As was the case in many Mediterranean lands in mediaeval times, monks were the main practitioners of winemaking in La Rioja and great advocates of its virtues. Vineyards occupied the usual part of rural landscapes in medieval Rioja during the High Middle Ages (10th–13th century) In the year 1063, the first documented report of viticulture in La Rioja appears in the "Carta de población de Longares" (Letter to the Settlers of Longares). The King of Navarra and Aragon gave the first legal recognition of Rioja wine in 1102 There are proofs of Rioja wine export towards other regions as early as the late 13th century, which testifies the beginnings of a commercial production. In the thirteenth century, Gonzalo de Berceo, clergyman of the Suso Monastery in San Millán de la Cogolla (La Rioja) and Spain's earliest known poet, mentions the wine in some of his works. From the 15th century on, the Rioja Alta specialized in wine growing. In 1560, harvesters from Longares chose a symbol to represent the quality of the wines. In 1635, the mayor of Logroño prohibited the passing of carts through streets near wine cellars, in case the vibrations caused a deterioration of the quality of the wine. In 1650, the first document to protect the quality of Rioja wines was drawn up. In 1790, at the inaugural meeting of the Real Sociedad Económica de Cosecheros de La Rioja (Royal Economic Society of Rioja Winegrowers), many initiatives as to how to construct, fix, and maintain the roads and other forms of access for transportation of wine were discussed. The Society was established to promote the cultivation and commercialisation of Rioja wines and 52 Rioja localities participated. In 1852, Luciano Murrieta (es) created the first fine wine of the Duque de la Victoria area, having learned the process in Bordeaux. In 1892, the Viticulture and Enology Station of Haro was founded for quality-control purposes. In 1902, a Royal Decree determining the origin of Rioja wines is promulgated. The Consejo Regulador (Regulating Council) was created in 1926 with the objective of limiting the zones of production, expanding the warranty of the wine and controlling the use of the name "Rioja". This Council became legally structured in 1945 and was finally inaugurated in 1953. In 1970, the Regulations for denominación de origen were approved as well as Regulations for the Regulating Council. In 1991, the prestigious "Calificada" (Qualified) nomination was awarded to La Rioja, making it Spain's first denominación de origen calificada (DOCa). In 2008, the Regulating Council for the La Rioja Denomination of Origin created a new logo to go on all bottles of wine produced under this designation. From now on bottles of wine from the La Rioja Qualified Denomination of Origin will no longer bear the familiar logo. In an attempt to appeal to younger wine-lovers, the long-standing logo will now be replaced with a brighter, more modern logo with cleaner lines. The aim is to reflect the new, modern aspects of wine-growing in La Rioja without detracting from the traditional wines. In theory, the new logo represents a Tempranillo vine symbolising "heritage, creativity and dynamism". In 2017, the DOCa Rioja, in this process of continuous improvement, enriched its current offer by regularizing and incorporating new indications (Singular Vineyards, Zone Wines, Municipality Wines, Quality Sparkling White and Sparkling Wines) with the traditional aging ones. In 2018, Rioja launched its new global brand message, 'Saber quién eres', where tradition, diversity and origin become protagonist attributes.
Sub-regions
Rioja Alta Located on the western edge of the region and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known more for its "old world" style of wine. A higher elevation equates to a shorter growing season, which in turn produces brighter fruit flavors and a wine that is lighter on the palate.T. Stevenson "The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" pg 312–314 Dorling Kindersley 2005
Rioja Alavesa The region of Rioja Alavesa is in the province of Álava in the Basque Country, on the northern bank of the River Ebro. Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 580–581 Oxford University Press 2006
Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja) Unlike the more continental climate of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Oriental is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s irrigation has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 35 °C (95 °F). A number of the vineyards are actually located in nearby Navarra but the wine produced from those grapes belongs to the Rioja appellation. Unlike the typically pale Rioja wine, Oriental wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic. They typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of the Rioja.
Grapes
Traditional varieties The traditional varieties authorized by the Regulating Council of the D.O.Ca. Rioja since its foundation in 1925 have been seven, four red and three white:
Red varieties: Tempranillo, Garnacha tinta, Mazuelo (also known as Cariñena) and Graciano. White varieties: Viura (also known as Macabeo), Malvasía and Garnacha blanca.
New authorized varieties In 2007, the Regulating Council of the D.O.Ca. Rioja authorized, for the first time since 1925, the incorporation of some additional varieties within the limits of the denomination, changes that were reflected in two modifications of the existing Regulation approved in 2004: BOE-A-2008-4991 and BOE -A-2009-8950, but this has been subject to subsequent amendment.Current regulations (in Spanish) can be viewed at https://uk.riojawine.com/en/36-legislation.html
The currently permitted additional varieties are the following:
Indigenous red varieties: Maturana tinta, (also called Maturana parda or Maturano) White varieties: Autochthonous varieties: Maturana blanca, Tempranillo blanco and Turruntés or Torrontés (not the same as the varieties named Torrontés cultivated in other parts of Spain and the rest of the world). Foreign varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Verdejo.
These new authorized varieties can only be planted in substitution, so as not to increase the vegetable mass of the Denomination.
In the case of the new autochthonous varieties, both red and white, no limit is set on the percentage that the wines must carry, which is why the production of single varietal wines of these grapes is allowed. On the contrary, in the foreign white varieties (Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Verdejo) it is established that they can not be the predominant ones in the final composition of the wine. Therefore, if the varieties are indicated on the label, the autochthonous white variety (Viura, Garnacha blanca, Malvasía de Rioja, Maturana blanca, Tempranillo blanco or Turruntés) must always be listed first.
The incorporation of these new varieties was made with the aim of recovering Rioja's viticultural heritage, in the case of autochthonous grapes, and to increase the competitiveness of Rioja whites in the international market, in the case of foreign white varieties.
Cultivated area
The area cultivated in 2018, in hectares, according to the grape varieties and by Autonomous Communities is as follows: VarietiesLa RiojaÁlavaNavarraTotal of varieties by Autonomous CommunitiesTempranillo35,058.1511,895.185,489.5152,442.83Garnacha3,984.03101.06449.304,534.39Mazuelo889.6297.26253.391,240.27Graciano820.08167.68297.031,284.80Maturana tinta140.7822.2918.51181.58Others Red78.5633.7722.37134.70Total Red40,971.2212,317.246,530.1159,818.57Viura3,139.06824.86201.634,165.55Malvasía101.8221.2910.66133.76Garnacha blanca156.677.8253.10217.60Tempranillo blanco602.7532.03116.52751.30Maturana blanca33.840.220.9935.06Verdejo207.372.07118.07327.51Turruntés5.080.0105.09Chardonnay112.036.1631.98150.18Sauvignon Blanc161.8416.0321.74199.60Other Whites34.751.120.6936.56Total White4,555.22911.60555.396,022.21Total Varieties45,526.4313,228.837,085.5065,840.77 As can be seen, red grapes represent 90.85% and white grapes represent 9.15%.
The red grapes are distributed as follows: Tempranillo: 87.67%, Garnacha: 7.58%, Mazuelo: 2.07%, Graciano: 2.15%, Maturana tinta: 0.30% and others: 0.23%.
The percentage among whites is determined as follows: Viura: 69.17%, Malvasia: 2.22%, Garnacha blanca: 3.61%, Tempranillo blanco: 12.48%, Maturana blanca: 0.58%, Verdejo: 5, 44%, Turruntés: 0.08%, Chardonnay: 2.49%, Sauvignon Blanc: 3.31% and others: 0.61%.
Viticulture
The pruning consists in forming the stump with three arms and two thumbs in each arm. Each thumb will have two buds from which the shoots will sprout. The grape harvest is done manually in the month of October. To ensure quality, the quantity is restricted to 6,500 kg / ha for red varieties and 9,000 kg / ha for white.
Production
Proportion of varieties according to the type of wine Traditionally, Rioja wine has been made by assembling different types of grape varieties, although nowadays it is also very common to find monovarietal wines.
In accordance with the Regulation of the D.O.Ca. Rioja (BOE-A-2004-1838410) and its latest modification (BOE-A-2009-895014), the different types of wine must use the authorised varieties in the following proportions:
Red wines: In red wines made from shelled grapes, at least 95% of the Tempranillo, Garnacha tinta, Graciano, Mazuelo and Maturana tinta varieties must be used. In red wines made from whole grapes, this percentage will be at least 85%. White wines: Only grapes of the varieties Viura, Garnacha blanca, Malvasía, Maturana blanca, Tempranillo blanco and Turruntés will be used. Grapes of the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo varieties can also be used as long as they are not the predominant variety in the final product. Rosé wines: A minimum of 25% of Tempranillo, Garnacha tinta, Graciano, Mazuelo and Maturana tinta grapes will be used. Where Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Verdejo varieties are used, they cannot be the predominant variety in the final product.
Production methods
Red wines. There are two methods of production: the one of carbonic maceration (traditional of the harvesters, for its early commerce) and another one in which the stem of the cluster is eliminated before the fermentation (used by the winery companies, to destine them to crianza).