Rioja, a trully Iberian gem

Home to higher elevation vineyards with sweeping plains below, Rioja is a land of many faces, split into three regions of northern Spain. Rioja Baja is at the eastern end of this territory, while Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa share its western midsection. Rioja Alavesa benefits from the cool moist, Atlantic coastal weather. The lands and outstanding climate of this region, located between Èbre and Sierra de Cantabria, have produced extraordinary, world-renowned vintages.

Villages with the charm of yesteryear are scattered throughout this viticultural landscape that has been tended for centuries by its inhabitants. Visitors to this Iberian gem can sample wines aged in cellars dating from the Middle Ages, as well as those produced in its state-of-the-art wineries.

Tempranillo, Grenache Noir, Mazuelo and Graciano represent the region’s seven traditional black grapes. Whites include ViuraMalvesia and Grenache Blanc. The year 2008 was marked by the addition of four ancient varieties found among Rioja’s ancient vines. They include Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco and Turruntés in white and Maturana Tinta in black.