A journey through the heart of Spanish Wine Country: DOCa Rioja and its ‘100km of diversity’ by Anna Ferrier
The Denominacion de Origen Calificada Rioja is nestled in Northern Spain, stretching along the banks of the Ebro river and settled amongst a picturesque landscape - it is renowned for its rich history, stunning vineyards, world-class winemaking traditions and has thus very much become synonymous with exceptional wine as well as representative of Spain’s viticultural and vinicultural heritage.
I was lucky enough to be part of a one week journey discovering this beautiful area and discovering the huge diversity of wines labelled under the DOCa Rioja. Whilst wine from this spectacular region has very much become synonymous with quality, the overall conception of Rioja, certainly in the UK, is very much led by this idea of Tempranillo-led red wines that can often show pronounced aromas of oak and those flavours associated with long-term ageing. My experience during this one week very much opened my eyes to the sheer variety of styles produced, also realising how little awareness the majority of consumers hold when it comes to diversity within this region.
Rioja can be divided into three different sub-zones: Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental. Rioja Alavesa lies north of the Ebro river and is dominated by rugged terrain. Altitudes can vary between 400 to 700 metres.The influence of the Atlantic is dominant and the majority of vineyards are dominated by clay-limestone soils. Rioja Alavesa is the smallest of the three sub-regions both in terms of geographical area and volume of production.
Rioja Alta is bound to the north by the Ebro river and is also dominated by an Atlantic influence. Altitudes can vary between 400 to 600 metres and the soil types are divided between clay-limestone, clay-ferrus and alluvial soils. Rioja Alta can be seen as the historic heartland of Rioja, with the town of Haro holding a special place in the history of Rioja's viticulture: the strategic introduction of the railway line in the late 19th century played a huge part in the growth of the region.
Rioja Oriental in comparison to the other two sub-zones has a much drier climate and is generally much more dominated by a mediterranean influence. Due to this mediterranean influence, it is warmer at lower altitude but some vineyards being situated at high altitude, are considered some of the coldest within the appellation. This, of course, provides a huge contrast and diversity within its styles. Alluvial soils predominate on the plains close to the rivers with the rest being clay-ferrous.
Day 1: Monovarietal wines and blends.
After a relatively late arrival in the beautiful city of Logroño on Sunday evening, the first day of the Rioja Educator programme started with a welcome and introduction at the Consejo Regulador, followed by a varietal tasting of 13 different varieties. This was the first eye opener of the trip - being able to taste each variety individually helped in visualising its uniqueness as well as its role when blended together. The day continued with an afternoon visit to the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture. This unique museum showcases the history of winemaking, from ancient times to the present day with an extensive collection of wine-related artefacts, vineyard tools, and pieces of art. Following the visit to the museum, we then tasted a selection of blends and also some classic examples with the idea of being able to contrast and compare these to the single varietal examples from the morning. One example that definitely stood out to me was the PECIÑA Reserva 2001 by Bodega Hermanos Peciña, a blend of 95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano and 2% Garnacha. This was a very classic style of Rioja, led by pronounced aromas of dried cherry and red plum underlined by savoury and leather notes.
Day 2: Rioja Alta. Classics and single vineyards.
After another early morning start, we found ourselves in the classic heartland of Rioja - the beautiful town of Haro and the barrio de la estación (the district station of Haro). The first stop was Bodega Muga and an insight into barrel making at their own cooperage, followed by a tasting of wines from different soil types. This tasting showcased the concept of terroir and how different soil types can influence the particular style of a wine. One of my personal highlights was the tasting that followed: a tasting of historic wines from the barrio de la estación including wines from Gómez Cruzado, CVNE, Roda, Muga, Bodegas Bilbaínas and La Rioja Alta. Each of these wines very much reflected the history and heritage of Rioja and the setting at La Rioja Alta certainly did it justice.
The afternoon tasting and visit to Juan Carlos Sancha couldn’t have been a greater contrast. The tasting focused on wines from single vineyards and older parcels but more so styles of wines, that focused on varietal differences as well as the specific terroirs. The focus here seemed more on terroir and putting the concentration of fruit at the forefront instead of the presence of pronounced oak flavours and long-term maturation. The huge variety of styles and expressions often labelled under the green generico label is something that absolutely blew my mind and certainly something that stood in contrast to the very classic styles of Rioja tasted in the morning. The Peña el Gato range by Juan Carlos Sancha was a great example of how different a wine can be by using different maturation vessels and techniques.
Day 3: Rioja Oriental and rosé wines.
Day three saw a slightly different start to the morning with a pruning workshop at Finca Vistahermosa and a tasting of some of their delicious Conversa 2020, produced from old Garnacha vines. The importance of terroir and origin very much stood in focus once again. After a short transfer, we experienced the first producer focused on organic and biodynamic practices: Viñedos Ruiz Jiménez. Their concept of combining tradition and innovation as well as focusing on sustainability through their organic and biodynamic practices, was something very important to see and something which was missing so far. I felt at times that this topic, the importance of organic viticulture and sustainability, could be a bigger priority within the Consejo Regulador. Following the vineyard visit was a tasting of 10 different wines from Rioja Oriental showcasing the broad range of styles and producers from this particular sub-zone.
On return to the Consejo Regulador in Logroño, we finished the day with a tasting of rosé wines from a range of bodegas including Muga, Ramón Bilbao, Sierra Cantabria, Beronia, Bodegas Tobía and Carlos Serras. All wines showcased that Rioja should very much have a seat at the table when it comes to the world’s best rosé wines. One wine that particularly stood out to me was the Bodegas Tobía Alma Tobía Único 2020 - it felt like liquid strawberry and cream and a style of rosé I had certainly never experienced before.
Day 4: Rioja Alavesa and premium white wines.
Day four started with a small walk around the beautiful mediaeval town of Laguardia and its very narrow cobblestone roads. After taking in the breathtaking views over Rioja Alavesa and a quick stop gazing at the beautiful architecture of Bodega Ysios, we arrived at Bideona for a tasting of 18 different wines from six different producers: Bideona, Baigorri, Altún, Luis Cañas, Bodega 202 and Ysios. Each of the bodegas was able to showcase their own individual styles as well as showcasing the unique terroir of Rioja Alavesa. One wine that stood out to me in this round was the La Cicatera 2021 by Altún which is made from 100% Garnacha. What an incredible concentration of both red and dark fruit underlined by a slight herbaceous and spice note.
After a delicious lunch at Bideona, we took a short transfer to Vinícola Real for a visit to their cellars and an incredible tasting of premium white wines from Rioja. There were 12 wines from six different producers on show: Vinícola real, Remírez de Ganuza, Nivarius, Pujanza, Bodegas Tierra and Alonso y Pedrajo. There was a great contrast of both classic white Rioja as well as some more modern expressions.
The two standouts for me were the 200 Monges Reserva Selección Especial 2010 by Vinícola Real and the Suañe 2019 by Alonso y Pedrajo. Both two very different styles but both outstanding in quality and unique in their own way. The 200 Monges Reserva Selección Especial 2010 showed very pronounced aromas of mushroom, hazelnut, apple, lemon peel and ginger which was underlined by aromas of toast and vanilla - a very classic style of aged white Rioja. The Suañe 2019 on the other hand had much more aromatic notes of orange blossom, lemon and orange peel, pineapple as well as clove nutmeg and ginger - with 15 days of skin contact, this wine had a beautiful slight orange colour and a slightly bigger mouthfeel.
Day 5: Sparkling wines and the new generation.
The final day saw us back at the Consejo Regulador, where we experienced a relatively new addition to the Rioja portfolio: the ‘Espumoso de Rioja’. The DOCa is allowing the production of quality white and rosé sparkling wine made using the traditional method. Whilst the production of sparkling wine in Rioja is small, it nonetheless holds historic significance. The Cuvée Inédita Reserva Extra Brut by Vivanco certainly showed great potential and demonstrated that there was no reason why Rioja wouldn’t be able to produce world class sparkling wine amongst its portfolio.
The final flight of an incredible week was showcasing a new generation of innovative young winemakers who were each able to bring something unique to the table: Tentenublo, Ukan Winery, Elena Corzana, Josean Eraso, Residence Wines and Ojuel. The last round of wines and producers were a final demonstration of Rioja’s diversity and talent and were an appropriate end to a phenomenal week.
Albeit the incredible experience I had during my time in Rioja, it also opened my eyes to one of the biggest challenges the DOCa faces - how to market and communicate this huge diversity of styles and producers to its end consumers, especially on a global level. Whilst most people are familiar with some of the classic labelling terms (Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva etc.), there seems to be little knowledge regarding the generico label - maybe also due to not enough categorisation within this label. The introduction of the ‘Viñedo Singular’ can certainly be seen as a step forward but I think more work is necessary to support those winemakers who are choosing to step outside the classic labelling terms. I’m excited to see more projects, innovation and young winemakers emerging out of the DOCa and I’m looking forward to promoting its diversity as a wine educator.
This wonderful experience was organised by the DOCa Rioja as part of their initiative Rioja Wine Academy. More details can be found here.