La Rioja

Rioja, Spain’s leading winegrowing region, is divided into the three regions of Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. The region is famous for its quality red wines and enormous cellars. The cellars are there because for at least one year all wines will ripen in the oak barrel and at least another year in the bottle. After the vine pest disaster, the Basque industry invested lots of capital into rebuilding the region and exporting wines to the USA – which is why the wines traditionally ripen in barrels of American oak. In Rioja predominantly red Tempranillo grapevines are cultivated, on the most diverse soils ranging from sand to alluvial land. Rioja Baja has a Mediterranean climate marked by extremely hot, dry summers and mild winters, whereas the influence of Atlantic Ocean can be felt in the cooler Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa.