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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All change for Rioja quality?
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Wine Legend: Marques de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 1925
Marques de Murrieta, established by Luciano de Murrieta y Garcia-Lemoine in 1852, was the first Rioja estate to export its wines.
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Rioja rules check - ask Decanter
Do DOCa Rioja rules require that each wine is barrel aged, bottled and labelled in a single release?
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Anson: Fomenting a Spanish red wine revolution
How can Spanish red wines take the next step up?
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Alvaro Palacios 2015 vintage preview
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Rioja sales hit new record in 2015 - figures
Demand for Crianza and Reserva fuels new record...
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Star buys of 2015: Spain and Portugal
Top-scoring wines from Spain & Portugal...
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Wine Trails: Six Rioja wineries to visit
As part of our series of extracts from Lonely Planet's new travel book Wine Trails, see the six Rioja wineries they've picked to visit during your wine holiday.
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Wine Trails: Rioja travel guide
Read the Rioja travel guide from the new Lonely Planet book Wine Trails the best places to stay, where to eat and what to do when visiting Rioja.
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The push for Rioja Crus - part two
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The push for Rioja crus - part one
Why would you want to change a winning formula? Adam Lechmere meets a band of ‘reformers’ who dream of Rioja crus.
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Exciting 'reformer' Rioja wines to try
Adam Lechmere picks 11 top Rioja wines from these new radicals.
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La Rioja Alta invests 9million euros in harvest innovation
La Rioja Alta. S.A. has invested 9 million euros in 62 hecatres of new vineyards and innovative harvest facilities, to improve the quality of their wines.
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Anson on Thursday: Redefining Rioja terroir
Jane Anson explores Rioja terroir with fresh eyes and finds there is a fightback in the Spanish region among those seeking to promote its diversity.
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Rioja under £25: panel tasting results
Red Rioja priced between £8 and £25 is better value than ever before. See our judges' outstanding and highly recommended wines here.
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Rioja heading for early 2015 wine harvest
A hot and dry growing season means some Rioja wine producers expect to begin the 2015 wine harvest up to a month earlier than usual.
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International Trophy Red Spanish Varietals over £15 - Lan, Culmen, Rioja Reserva, Spain 2010
An ALL-SPANISH FINAL pitted two classic Riojas against contenders from Ribera del Duero and Bierzo, but this Rioja Reserva from Lan won the judges’ hearts in the end, praised for showing ‘modern Spain at its absolute best’.
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International Trophy Red Spanish Varietals under £15 - Olarra, Laztana, Rioja Reserva, Spain 2010
Family-owned since its foundation in 1973, Olarra has expanded over the years, establishing a second Rioja winery, Bodegas Ondarre, and an operation in Castilla called Casa del Valle.
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Rioja festival goers soaked in 130,000 litres of red wine
Ten thousand people took part in the 'battle of wine' festival...
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The best of Rioja Alavesa
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Rioja: Blend it like Ramon Bilbao
As you sip away at your glass of Rioja, do you ever consider the steps that led to your enjoyment of it? Decanter's associate editor, Tina Gellie, recently turned winemaker for the day to put her blending skills to the test.
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Spanish wine giant Codorniu expands in Rioja
Spanish wine group Codorniu has embarked on a major expansion in Rioja through its majority-owned subsidiary, Bodegas Bilbainas, according to its chief executive, Javier Pages.
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Rioja sales reach new high in 2014
Global Rioja sales have continued their resurgence started in 2013, reaching a record 281m litres last year and with exports up by 3.5%, show official figures.
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Rioja wine producers expand in Rueda in 2015
Rioja wine producers including Ramon Bilbao and Bodegas Riojanas are investing more than 12m euros ($13.6m) this year in the acquisition of vineyards in Rueda DO, highlighting the region's rising reputation.
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The many faces of Rioja
Rioja is all things to all wine lovers: from simple unoaked wines, through traditional Tempranillos aged in American oak, to more modern blends and terroir-driven examples. Sarah Jane Evans MW examines the styles
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Producer profile: CVNE
John Stimpfig heads to its 19th-century Haro bodega to find out how it has remained true to its heritage while moving with the times.
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Find out who received the 2015 'Best of Wine Tourism Awards' from Bilbao|Rioja
Three outstanding wine tourism projects were honored on October 9 at the 12th annual ‘Best Of Wine Tourism awards ceremony held at the University of Deusto in Bilbao.
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Rioja's 'vintage of century' 50 years on
A tasting of the exalted 1964 Rioja vintage has shown both the potential value and the limits of this era in one of Spain’s premier wine regions.
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Rioja winemaker swaps oak for chestnut
Rioja producer Oscar Tobia is experimenting with alternatives to oak barrels for ageing and plans to release a blended white wine partially matured in chestnut and ash.