The wine region of Rioja is named after the river Oja that flows from the Cantabrian Mountains (in the northern part of Spain) through La Rioja and into Navarra. Rioja is a small region; it covers only 8,000 hectares. This makes it one of the smallest wine regions in the world – smaller even than Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne.
Rioja, while small, is still relatively large in comparison to the other wine regions of Spain. It is the second-biggest region by size of land under vine and has around 145,000 acres of land devoted to vineyards. That’s more than twice the size of Napa Valley! The total area covered by Rioja is 5 times smaller than Bordeaux and Burgundy – but almost all of this land is dedicated to wine production. This makes it one of the smallest wine regions in the world – smaller even than Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne.
Red: Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha Tinta
If you are new to Rioja then it is worth knowing that Tempranillo is by far the most common grape variety found among the region’s red wines. The other red varieties permitted for use in Rioja wine production include: Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha Tinta. These varieties form the backbone of Rioja wine blends and make up over 85% of all plantings in La Rioja. In terms of white grape varieties, there are a larger number permitted for use in production but with just 10% plantings within the region, they are by no means as prominent as the reds.
The main white grapes found in La Rioja include: Viura, Grenache Blanc (known as Garnacha Blanca here) Macabeo (called Viura elsewhere) Malvasía and Albillo. However, only one white grape variety is needed to be included on a label. As such, labels often list these wines simply as ‘Blanco’ or ‘white’ rather than listing any specific white grape varietal(s).
White: Viura (Macabeo), Malvasia, Garnacha Blanca and Maturana Blanca
The white grapes Viura (Macabeo), Malvasia, Garnacha Blanca and Maturana Blanca account for almost all of what remains. They are used to make the region’s white wines: Rioja Blanco, which is aged for at least three months in oak barrels; Crianza, which is aged for at least six months in oak barrels; Reserva, which is aged for at least one year in oak barrels; and Gran Reserva, which is aged for two years with a minimum of one year in an oak barrel.
Viticulture
Rioja has some of the highest vine densities in Spain, with an average of 2 vines per square meter. Because of this, the vines have to be trained high up to ensure they get enough sun and nutrients. It is even more necessary to tend the vines carefully because the soil throughout Rioja is poor, and the climate harsh. They are constantly under threat from frost during springtime and extreme heat during summertime. This is why some winemakers choose to irrigate their vineyards during summer in order to prevent dehydration (which causes a weaker harvest). All this hard work produces wines that are famous around the world for their quality and longevity.
The four main appellations of Rioja are:
- Rioja
- Rioja Alta
- Rioja Baja
- Rioja Alavesa (the most northerly and famous for quality)
The most basic wine is Cosecha, which simply means “harvest.” It must contain at least 60% Tempranillo but can come from anywhere in La Rioja province or even beyond it. These wines are aged for at least one year before release and are the least expensive.