Wine Region Spain

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Wine Region Spain

Famous Tempranillo Wine From Rioja

Spain has more than 400 grape varieties covering nearly 3 million acres, with more than 100 appellations. Rioja is the most famous and productive wine region of Spain, with 140,000 acres of vineyards. Tempranillo is the most produced wine here, and the Rioja region has more than 600 wineries.

Along with Tempranillo, other reds and whites can be found in this region, which is located in the North of Spain. Tempranillo is its' most exported wine. Other varieties include: Macabeo(aka Viura), Garnacha blanca, Garnacha tinta, Malvasia, Mazuelo(aka Carinena), Graciano.
The Rioja region is governed by the 'Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja', often short named as Rioja DOCa wines. The capital of La Rioja, is the town of Logrono, although another town, Haro, is considered the wine capital of this area.

Terrain - Climate - Soil

With a contrasting region of hills, valleys, and flatlands, Rioja has a most unique viticulture. The terrain of the Rioja wine region spans 75 miles from the north-west to the south-east. This gives the region a diverse growing climate, topography and soil types, all contributing to its' wine style and quality. Because Rioja is a mountainous region, it is influenced by a Mediterranean climate and an Atlantic one.
The Ebro River runs through the area, with the subregion of Rioja Alta in the southwest and Rioja Alavesa on the Basque side to the north. In Rioja Alta, the best vineyard contain a mix of clay and limestone. And, in Alavesa, the soil is chalkier and the terrain becomes sloped steeply, thus more vineyards are being planted at higher altitudes.

Wine Styles - Oak Aging

What makes Rioja wine distinct is the oak aging effect. Most tempranillo wines are oak aged from one to several years resulting in unique flavours and styles. Type of oak and age, as well as the time maturing in oak ultimately determine the wine's characteristics. The style of wines in Rioja are Joven,(young wine), Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. Joven are the least aged and fruity. Crianza must age for at least one year in oak barrels and two years in total. Reserva must also age at least 1 year in oak aging and 3 years total aging. Gran Reservas must age in barrels for at least 2 years with 5 years total aging. White and Rose wines need only age in oak for 6 months. Bodegas(wineries) can own up to 40,000 oak barrels for aging their wines.

Rioja wine region Spain

Labelling Wine

The wine in Rioja is labelled by the region it came from, not the grape varieties used in making it. This is common in European wine countries. The region of Rioja is divided into sub-regions, which consist of Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental. The major differences between these sub-regions lie in both in the micro-climates and in the terroir, where a wide variety of soil types are represented.

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