DOCa Rioja

Created as a D.O (Denominación de Origen) in 1925, Rioja has, since 1991, achieved the status of DOca (Denominación de Origen Calificada), the highest level in the hierarchy of Spanish appellations. The region’s capital is the city of Logroño and it covers 60,000 hectares divided into 3 sub-regions : Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja, and Rioja Alavesa. The latter is located to the north/northwest of the city and is probably the area producing the region’s finest and most elegant wines. Rioja Alta is situated to the west of Logroño. Both of these areas benefit from a temperate climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and their vineyards are located between 500 and 800m in altitude, allowing for greater freshness in the wines.Finally, the Rioja Baja is located to the east of Logroño and has a warmer, more continental climate. The region’s star grape variety is Tempranillo (70% of production), sometimes complemented by Grenache Noir as well as Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano. There is also a small production of white wines, notably with the varieties Viura, Malvasía, and Grenache Blanc. In any case, Rioja is the most internationally popular Spanish wine region thanks to its structured reds, with great aging potential, often matured for long periods in barrels.