New Rioja president targets rise in exports
Spain's financial crisis means Rioja must redouble efforts to find drinkers abroad, the new president of the region’'s ruling council has said.
Rioja
Rioja is a wine region in North Central Spain, 120 Miles south of Bilbao. There are 63,593 hectares of vineyards divided between three provinces on the Upper Ebro – La Rioja (43,885 ha), Alava (12,934 ha) and Navarre (6,774 ha).
The wine region produces 280 to 300m litres of wine annually, of which 90% is red and the rest a mixture of white and rosé.
Key Grapes
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuela(Carignan), Maturana, Viura (Macabeo), Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía, Chardonnay and Maturana Blanca.
Quick links: Rioja wine reviews | Great value Rioja with high scores | Decanter Travel Guide: Rioja | Rioja wineries to visit
Climate & soil
Rioja benefits from a mix of Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean climates.
Hot summers and cold winters with relatively high rainfall are all perfect for producing top quality grapes which go into producing quality Rioja wines.
La Rioja includes different soil types and can be divided between three provinces:
Rioja Alta: Here we can find a big diversity of soils, most of them limestone and clay, but in some places the soil can be rich in iron or full of pebbles.
Rioja Alavesa: On the North edge of the region, it has a distinctive chalky clay-limestone soil and steeply sloped landscape.
Rioja Oriental: It has much fertile alluvial soils and is heavy with silt.
Latest Rioja articles:
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Rioja's Roda releases new vintage of Cirsion
Bodegas Roda, one of Rioja Alta's most renowned producers, has just launched the latest vintage of its flagship wine, the Cirsion 2010.
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Decanter travel guide: Rioja, Spain
From avant-garde architecture to outdoor pursuits and culinary delights, this area of northern Spain is a traveller’s paradise, discovers Sarah Jane Evans MW. Taken from the April 2011 issue.
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Red Rioja over £10
And the winner is...
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Red Rioja under £10
And the winner is...
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Decanter panel tasting (Jan 2010): Rioja Reserva 2005 - All wines
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Reinventing Rioja
The rise of New World wines has forced Rioja's wineries to adapt to modern styles - just don't tell the Spanish. Margaret Rand reports
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2008 vintage guide for Spain Rioja
2008 vintage guide for Spain Rioja. Ripe, balanced, medium-boded red wines, with bright acidity. Whites are racy with good fruit and floral flavours.
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2007 vintage guide for Spain Rioja
2007 vintage guide for Spain Rioja. Most consistent quality from Rioja Baja, with crisp, well-balanced, elegant wines.
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Really fabulous Rioja - All wines
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Top Rioja: classic, modern and new-wave - New-wave Rioja
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Top Rioja: classic, modern and new-wave - Classic Rioja
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Top Rioja: classic, modern and new-wave - Modern Rioja
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Beyond Rioja wine
When Rioja prices rocketed towards the end of the 1990s, buyers started to look elsewhere. JOHN RADFORD highlights the best affordable Spanish regions giving Rioja a run for its money
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The reign in Spain: Rioja wine
The production of Rioja took off in the 1990s. VICTOR DE LA SERNA explains how new-style wines are a return to the past
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Spain a red decade: Rioja tasting
The 75th anniversary of La Rioja's Consejo Regulador provided ample excuse for a tasting. JOHN RADFORD samples the 1999 and some of the region's older and greater vintages
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Spanish wine Armada: Rioja
Once the name Rioja was synonymous with Spanish wine. These days, says JOHN RADFORD, the region is having to innovate to maintain its lead
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A giant awakes
A wind of change is sweeping through the bodegas of Spain's greatest wine region. ANTHONY ROSE reports.
