I. Preface
Rioja has a winemaking tradition of one thousand years. However, the great wines of today were born in the late 19th century when innovation in winemaking was brought by the French wine specialists and by the recent introduction of modern winemaking technology which prepared the right conditions for Tempranillo, the noble indigenous grape variety. For the white wines, Viura, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasia were originally approved. In 2007, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo, with the indigenous varieties of Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, and Torrontes, were additionally approved.
When we mention wines of Rioja, the focus is on the Rioja people's superior skills of using barrels. In Rioja, there are over 1,200,000 American and French oak barrels. With high-quality standard and superior production management, Rioja was approved as the first DOC wine in 1991. The region has over 18,000 wine growers and 368 wineries producing mostly red wines for early drinking or for long ageing. The minimum ageing period is defined by the Consejo Regulador but most of the wine producers age their wines for a longer period than the regulation.
We should understand what is happening in Rioja today. It appears more and more wineries are looking backward at established traditions and the style. The days of excess seem to be high in ripeness. High in alcohol. High in extraction. High in oak. Those bodybuilder wines are impressive but a bit too much in general point of view nowadays. But there are very drinkable and enjoyable wines appeared! In fact, Rioja wines are changing their philosophy and gained glance of wine lovers. In this essay, I would like to discuss the advantages of Rioja wines in the global market, and there are a history, a tradition, and a style to go back to.
Let me explain the different ages of Rioja as the first part, what happened and why it happened. Classifications, divisions, and generalizations in wine are not precise. Mine are broad generalizations and as such there are plenty of exceptions to them, but to be able to put things into context, please allow me to outline and describe the different eras of Rioja.
II. Historical Reputation: The eras of Rioja
'Ancestral times' was a very long period, from whenever they started making wine in the Middle Ages in the 10th or 11th centuries, until the mid-1800s, a little before the phylloxera attack. This was all about whole-cluster fermentation in stone lagares with no selection and very little care about quality. Young wines, slightly marked by carbonic maceration, to be drunk fresh and without ageing in oak, were produced for private consumption. The style still exists today, and it's called cosechero, but with much higher quality than those of the past. And, we should notice the influence of the “Camino de Santiago”. This route contributed to the Rioja economy development in the 'Ancestral times'. Silence for several centuries, the revival of the pilgrims is welcoming by Rioja people today.
'The Modern period' runs from the 1850s until the 1920s. There was an early attempt by Manuel Quintano, the dean of the cathedral of Burgos, to bring the Bordelais method at the end of the 18th century, but he was ahead of his time. It was to happen, but a little later, when the Marquises of Murrieta and Riscal really pushed for it. Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, Marqués de Riscal, had lived in Bordeaux since 1836 and was eager to reproduce its wines in Rioja. So he brought the ways and the means, the grapes, the barrels, and even a French winemaker, Jean Pineau, and with all that he created his winery in 1858.
The phylloxera (and powdery mildew) attacks on the vineyards of France in the 1870s provided the big push. French négociants arrived in Spain in search of wines for thirsty France. The majority established themselves in Rioja. And the locals saw the opportunity too. So here was the explosion! Look at the dates these bodegas were founded: Marqués de Murrieta (1852), Marqués de Riscal (1858), Montecillo (1872), Berberana and López de Heredia (1877), CVNE (1879), AGE (1881), Martínez Lacuesta and Lagunilla (1885), Bodegas Franco Españolas, Bodegas Riojanas and La Rioja Alta (1890), Bodegas Palacio (1894), Paternina (1896) and Bodegas Bilbaínas (1901).
Cuvée Médoc, Cepa Sauternes, Viña Gravonia, Estilo Borgoña, Tipo Borgoña, Cepa Borgoña, Viña Medokkia, Royal Claret, Tête de Cuvée, Château Ygay are quotes from labels of that time. The French influence was enormous. The French method, with some local adaptations, local grapes, use of American oak and very long ageing in wood, turned into the método Riojano. And Château Ygay finally settled into Castillo Ygay.
Finally, when their home vineyards were up and running again, French merchants went back home or decided to naturalize and stay. Charles Serres turned into Carlos Serres. There was an attempt to create regulations for the appellation. Things settled down. The period that I call 'The golden years', and here I can be a little more precise, say 1925 to 1973, is when the great classical Riojas were produced. Of course, periods in wine cannot be that specific, but few bottles older than 1925 remain today, and 1973 was for the last of the great vintages when basically all the wines produced were great.
Of course, plenty of great wines were produced after that, but there was a lot more variability. It might be named “The industrial revolution”, which goes from the mid-1970s to early 1990s. Plantings boomed, and so did yields. Commercial success called for big volumes. Production was industrialized. And what was initially good, turned bad. Thin wines from not-so-great high-yielding vineyard sites dried out because they stayed too long in wood, and barrels were old and sometimes not so clean. Reputations plummeted from the early 1990s to mid-2000s. Everything accelerated; the phases are much shorter now. It all started very nicely, as a reaction to the previous mistakes. Better fruit and more weight in the wines. But it all went awry with a crazy escalation of maturity, alcohol levels, extraction, oaking… and pricing!
'Back to the future' started sometime in the mid-2000s, say from 2005 if you want to pinpoint an actual year. 2001 was a year of many excesses. The hype the vintage received, not only in Rioja but also in other regions such as Ribera del Duero, made some people lose perspective. Some of the wines represent the summit of these excesses. But after that, there was a lot more talk about finesse, elegance, and balance.
We know changes in wines take years. Basically, because from the moment you have the idea until the wine resulting from that idea is on the market, a good three or four years have passed; you only have one chance per year to make wine, and then you need to wait until it's ready to be sold and hits consumers. So following trends is probably not a good idea, as you're always going to be behind. Ideally, you should stick to your ideas, your tastes, and your style, be true to your wine, sell it to the world, and make them like it. I know that, like many other things, this is easier said than done, especially by someone who doesn't make wine, and doesn't need to make a living out of making and selling wine.
These steps of phrases are also the essence of DNA of Rioja wines. We have the light and fruity style in the “Ancestral times” but it is not just a legend, which is still the influence continually. Surely the most recognized long-oaking style is the leader of Rioja wines. These are all the treasures and the hints of the future. And these are the advantages of Rioja in the competitive worldwide wine market.
III. Crianza, Reserva and Grans Reserva: Synonym of Rioja wines
Consejo Regulador, created in 1926, delimit the zones of production. Rioja was promoted to DOCa in 1991 and the iconic classification, especially Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva, is the key image through all over the world (as for the labelling terms, Crianza, Reserva, and Grans Reserva are not only for Rioja DOCa but all España wine regions). We may say these are magic words which determine the Rioja wines since these are not exclusive for Rioja only. But it is too successful for people who would like to understand the real Rioja wines.
The Consejo establishes a classification system for Rioja wines which is based on the criteria of ageing. The first level of wines in Rioja according to the ageing criteria is the Guarantee of origin (we will not speak about quality since at any of the levels we will describe the quality of the wines can be excellent, very good, etc.).
The guarantee of origin in a label of Rioja wine indicates that the grapes come from the Rioja region and the wines have been produced here. These wines do normally spend small or no time in oak barrels. They are also normally very fruity. These wines, in the Rioja Alavesa sub-region, have been traditionally produced following the carbonic maceration process. There are exceptions to this idea of small or no ageing time for these wines. This would apply to the cases in which the oenologist may decide to be creative and make a wine which does not fall into any of the categories we will describe. In these circumstances, the wines are included in the guarantee of origin label. When these wines are actually young and with no oak ageing, the recommended drinking time is no later than the second year after harvesting.
Crianza means literally oak-aged wines. In Spain, a “vino con crianza” refers to a wine that has been matured in oak barrels. However, in most Spanish wine regions Crianza also refers to a specific type of wine. In the case of the Rioja wine-producing region, Crianza is applied to wines which mature for at least 2 years at the winery before being released to the market. Part of this time is to be spent in oak barrels, part in the bottle.
A different label applies to these wines (different colour and with the Crianza word written on them). Crianza wines are very interesting in the sense that they retain freshness, but they have also evolved and have developed more complex aromas and flavours derived from the oak ageing process.
Reserva wine. In the case of these “labels”, the wines must spend a minimum of 3 years before they are launched to the market. A minimum of 1 full year is to be spent in oak barrel. This would apply to red wines. In the case of white wines, the time before being released to the market is 2 years, of which at least 6 months are to be spent in oak.
A final category is Gran Reserva. These wines need to spend at least 5 years before they reach the market. Out of these 5 years, 2 at least are to be spent in oak barrel. In the case of white wines, the time before they can be released to the market is 4 years, of which 6 months would apply to oak barrel ageing.
A good Gran Reserva from Rioja should be a wine where there is a perfect balance between oak and fruit. A wine that would persist and stay in your mouth for a long time. Full character and the longest ageing potential amongst all the wines described.
The price of the wines described above varies considerably. The price is a price that depends on many items: yield at the vineyard, the type of oak being used, the brand itself, when the winery was built, market demand for a given wine, etc. It is also normal that wines in Gran Reserva or Reserva level are more expensive than Crianza for instance. The longer a wine is kept in the winery the more expensive it should be as a rule. We say this because time implies more cost of capital, more work performed, a barrel that would not be used normally for any other wines, etc.
For these three main categories, some producers would not adopt it just by ageing but within the different quality of grapes. For the Reserva and Gran Reserva, the grape will be selected more carefully then Crianza. Some bodegas would not make Reserva and Gran Reserva in every year but just in excellent vintages, or, use the grapes for the quality site to make it. These efforts guarantee the labelling words are effective. We have the information explosion, internet, social media in the last decades, Global wine market needs to be aware of the bullet words to communicate with. Rioja wines marketing communication in official classification is so powerful, it gives a solid base to the sales for next generation.
IV. Next Generation
Rioja is that its three official sub-zones (Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja) are defined by traditional/regional or political boundaries between Spanish provinces (La Rioja, Navarra, and Álava) instead of matching soil or microclimate types. This fact has also contributed to producers’ traditionally sourcing grapes from all three sub-zones and blending them to add complexity to their wines, making the sub-division somewhat irrelevant for the consumer. This system is thought to favour large companies to the detriment of smaller producers, who are forced to sell their products to the larger wineries in the region. The traditional Rioja regional style consisted of early harvesting, very short macerations and fermentation followed by long ageing periods in 225 l. oak barricas (barrels) prior to blending wines from the three sub-zones and bottling. Minimal contact between the must and the grape skins was fundamental. Tannic wines with deep colour were considered unrefined and were usually rejected.
It was at the end of the 20th century when smaller, newer producers experimented with modern working methods in their search for wines with more fruit and tannins. This led them to a greater understanding of climate and soil; thus, the terruño movement, defined by its “Alta expresión” wine style, was born in Rioja. This new philosophy defends a greater understanding of the land and the importance of matching particular grape varieties with certain soils, versus the traditional focus on process. The appearance of more of these “Alta expresión” wines during the 1990s, marks the beginning of the current modern Rioja vs. traditional Rioja dichotomy.
Rioja’s blending history might have made the terruño concept a little hazy; nevertheless, it’s not something foreign to the region. Oenologist and wine-and-vine research specialist Manuel Ruiz Hernández authored a study of Rioja’s soils in the 1990s that included the following widely published soil map, where he divides the D.O.Ca. Rioja in three types of soil: Alluvial, Ferruginous Clay and Calcareous Clay. He noted that Calcareous clay soils –found predominantly in the Rioja Alta and Alavesa sub-zones, although not exclusively- were those that “offer more special qualities” to wine due to its low yields. Regarding climate, the most cited researchers are Sánchez-Gabriel and Núñez & Martínez who consider Rioja to have a mix of Atlantic and Continental climates with Mediterranean influences.
Rioja is a fertile land depression in the Ebro river valley, which flows through the region from west to east, enclosed by two mountain ranges (The Sierra de Cantabria to the North and the Sierras of Cameros and La Demanda to the South). These mountains create natural barriers and have a tempering effect both from the cold and rainy fronts from the Bay of Biscay (North/NW) and from the warm and dry winds from the central Spanish plateau and the Mediterranean (South, SE). The western part of the region is more exposed to the humidity from the Atlantic and the temperature regulating effect of the ocean (these are the areas that enjoy more rainfall and where temperatures are mild). As we advance eastwards the average altitude descends, the atmosphere is drier and the temperature contrast wider, showing the characteristics of the Continental climate and the dry winds and rainfall deficit of Mediterranean influence.
These researchers’ studies that explain Rioja’s soil and climate are widely available and make these influential factors easier to classify and understand yet they are also very dangerous for they tend to generalize. Simply put, the rich mosaic of soils and microclimates that is the small territory of the D.O.Ca. Rioja cannot be explained at a glance. Nevertheless, if there’s an area within the region that is considered above the rest -or at least more fashionable- it’s the calcareous clay soils north of the river Ebro. As Ruiz-Hernandez noted in 1990, these vineyards planted high on the steep and rugged flanks of the Sierra de Cantabria mountains where the low yielding Tempranillo is grown are coveted by producers throughout the region.
What is the next generation all about? Maybe the new classification: 'Vino de Zona', 'Vino de Municipio' and 'Viftedo Singular' would answer that. Regarding Consejo Regulador, new classification emphasizes the influence of “terroir”. Rioja has done such a good job of communicating a strong brand image, that very few people are familiar with any of its 76 municipalities.
Lovers of fine Burgundy or Bordeaux can tell you, in the tiniest detail, the differences between a Pommard and a Gevrey-Chambertin or a Pomerol and a Margaux. But ask most Rioja fans to do the same thing with Ábalos and Alfaro or Briones and Briñas and they wouldn’t have a clue. There’s a good explanation for this. Most Rioja is made and sold as a pan-regional blend, combining grapes from two or more of its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental.
In a region that can be much cooler than people imagine – it snowed during the 2008 harvest – it makes sense to blend marginal, often high-quality areas with hotter zones, especially in so-called Atlantic years when acidity levels are higher. But there’s a growing and very important body of opinion that says that vintage variation is no bad thing. In fact, it’s part of what makes fine wine regions interesting. More to the point, Rioja, along with almost every other wine region in the world, is warming up because of climate change.
Rioja has always valued certain vineyards and villages – municipalities if you prefer – above others. It just hasn’t broadcast the fact outside its own borders. But now the Regulatory Council that runs the region’s affairs has decided to introduce three new classifications. Subject to certain criteria, producers can now choose to label their wines as Unique Vineyards (Viñedos Singulares), Village Wines (Vinos de Pueblo) or Zonal Wines (Vinos de Zona) as well as straight, generic Rioja.
Not everyone is happy about this, but it feels like a step in the right direction to me. Rioja is a great wine region and it deserves to be treated and sold like one. The diversity of the Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa), in terms of landscape, climate and geology, is extremely varied. Rioja is only 60 miles long and 25 miles wide, but to drive its length or breadth can be to experience two seasons in a single day: mist and rain in the mountains, furnace-hot sun on the plains.
By recognizing that Rioja “contains multitudes”, the Consejo Regulador is recognizing a long-established reality. This will also be great news for wine drinkers – not just the geeks who want to discuss the finer points of slope, aspect and soil type – but those who are keen to try radically different styles of Rioja and to understand what makes them so.
This doesn’t invalidate the pan-regional blends that are so popular with consumers. Rioja’s generic reds are arguably better and more reliable than those of any other major wine-producing area. But now it is taking the first steps towards greater individuality, by allowing producers to identify different villages and vineyard parcels. Several of them were doing this already, choosing to thumb their noses at the regulations, but now it’s official.
This new concentration on a precise location plays into the hands of the new wave of Rioja producers, many of whom have recently switched from growing and selling their grapes and are typically based in a small area. As Ricardo Aguiriano, the Consejo’s marketing director explained in London: “Every one of these people has a story and consumers like stories.” The two co-exist and, ideally, should benefit and support one another. And the new Rioja is also a win-win situation for wine consumers. Spain’s most famous region is about to get even more interesting, inspiring new and existing drinkers to explore this remarkable denomincación. One day soon, we’ll see wine lists and retail shelves classifying Riojas by sub-zone, village and vineyard name. And these changes would be a powerful weapon in Rioja global sales.
V. Re-Discover Rioja Oriental: Sub-zones, Soil, Single Grape Variety
Standardization is one of wine’s most dangerous enemies. The idea behind the Denominación de Origen framework works as a safeguard of product authenticity towards the consumer. Legally, a wine labelled D.O.Ca. RIOJA guarantees a certain number of aspects about the wine, among them: varietal composition, grape provenance as well as maximum yields and quality in terms of ageing. At the same time, by displaying the name RIOJA in a prominent position on the label, the producer is creating a series of expectations for the consumer, who presumes there’s a typical regional wine style behind the name. Because of the blending history in Rioja, its typical regional style responds to traditional Rioja wines: medium bodied, refreshingly acidic barrel aged Tempranillo-based blends with a refined taste, restrained alcohol levels and low tannins. These are the wines represented by classic producers like Faustino, Bodegas Riojanas, La Rioja Alta, Marqués de Riscal, López de Heredia, Bodegas Franco-Españolas, etc.… Can anyone fairly say these wines don’t reflect a recognizable style and sense of place?
Terruño focused winemakers argue that the only indication of place in the existing official regional subdivision is the address of the winery, a fact that creates confusion because the grapes can come from anywhere in the region. They defend that to reflect terruño accurately producers would need to make wines with grapes sourced from individual vineyards or specific villages and cite it on the labels. Other wine regions building a quality-focused position in the market, like Priorat, have readily accepted these village appellations.
I would like to take Rioja Oriental as an example for this section. The potential of Rioja Oriental is so huge but unknown to the most people. New classification system and Terruño focused labelling terms could be very helpful to improve everything. But there is still something initial not clarified. The situation is not only in Rioja Oriental but could be adopted to Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta.
Historically, Rioja wine was a blend of all three regions (Alta, Alavesa, and Baja). However, this practice stopped as warmer temperatures in Alta and Alavesa meant that blending across regions was no longer necessary as grapes were able to reach higher levels of ripeness. Vineyards in Baja were replanted, with Tempranillo and Graciano replacing Garnacha as the dominant grape varietal (But old vine Garnacha is the treasure of this land). The best wineries source their grapes from estate vineyards on the slopes of Mount Yerga can reach upwards of 2,500 ft/762mt where there are a substantial diurnal shift and the soil is less fertile and more varied in composition, producing much lower yields and fruit of interest.
Although Baja has been known for its vineyard land planted closer to the Ebro river at a lower elevation, a good portion of the most prized vineyard land in Baja is planted at elevations higher than those in both Alta and Alavesa. The Baja region has the most diverse soil profile of any of the sub-regions and consists of fertile alluvial soil with large amounts of iron-rich clay and limestone deposits.
In fact, without Rioja Baja, Rioja would not be what it is today. First of all, Rioja was traditionally made by blending grapes from all over the region. Because Rioja Baja is warmer and drier than the Alta or Alavesa, the harvest always begins here, and the grapes almost always reach total ripeness, something that happens with less regularity in the other two subzones. This is perhaps not as evident as it was in the past, before global warming, when, toward the end of October, plummeting temperatures and rainstorms often ruined the harvest or at best, produced thin wines with no more than 9 or 10% alcohol in the Alta and Alavesa. Clearly, these wines needed some muscle and it always came from Rioja Baja. In fact, most of the wineries in Haro such as La Rioja Alta, CVNE and López de Heredia either owned or had long-term arrangements with growers in the Baja. Most of these traditional wineries still own property there.
Secondly, Rioja Baja was Garnacha land, adding character in blends to the predominant Tempranillo of the Alta and Alavesa. Sadly, most of the Garnacha has been replaced with Tempranillo since the late 1980s, but Garnacha is still in demand, with wineries like El Coto de Rioja investing heavily in replanting it.
It would be very interesting to elaborate them showing the evolution of the Rioja Oriental vineyard areas for the last 60 years. The cultivation areas of the vineyards remained unchanged for hundreds of years. However, during the last 40 years, there has been a relocation of the vineyards, in many cases from the areas of poor soils and height to others in the valley with low altitude, fertile soils, and water availability. Because of this process, almost all the pre-phylloxera vineyard that existed in la Rioja Oriental have been lost (in 1982, Rioja Oriental had 179 out of the 268 hectares of pre-phylloxera vineyards existing in the whole DOC). A good example can be found in my own village, where currently there are less 2 hectares remaining out of the 67 existing in 1982.
Some artifices are necessary here, like low-yielding, south-facing vineyards located at high altitude on or near Mount Yerga, south of Alfaro, where well-known winemakers like Álvaro Palacios and his family have long recognized their potential for producing wines of great character, as well as vineyards planted in the gravelly soil around Mendavia on the north bank of the Ebro, home of Barón de Ley.
On top of all the above, things have also changed in relation to the grape varieties grown in the area. While Garnacha used to be the main grape variety in Rioja Oriental, Tempranillo has recently become the main variety crop. In 1983, the 33.53% of the total vineyard surface in La Rioja was Garnacha; today, it represents only the 9.93%. These data, if transferred to la Rioja Oriental only, would be much more dramatic since in 1983 the surface of Garnacha here represented around the 80% of the total vineyard surface. Rioja Baja was Garnacha land, adding character in blends to the predominant Tempranillo of the Alta and Alavesa. Sadly, most of the Garnacha has been replaced with Tempranillo since the late 1980s, but Garnacha is still in demand, with wineries like El Coto de Rioja investing heavily in replanting it. And Garnacha is not alone-Tempranillo Bianco, Chardonnay, Graciano and etc.- are showing their brilliant personality here.
For a successful future, Rioja Oriental should put its efforts into recovering its own identity. To achieve this, the optimum areas and soils for growing vines (mostly located far from the valley) should be recovered, together with the traditional grapes varieties so well adapted to the local soil and climate. Also, it would be desirable to see an increase in the number of local winegrowers producing its own wine to avoid the constant relocation affecting the area due to the winemaking and commercialization of wineries located in other areas of La Rioja.
It is crucial to make sure that la Rioja Oriental is recognized as an area with its own identity not only due to its winemaking techniques but also due to its own long cycle grapes’ varieties such as Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano (if I must choose the variety that better represents the identity of the area, this would be the old vine Garnacha). Last, but not least, it is critical to achieving Premium and Super-Premium qualities, in both viticulture and winemaking aspects.
There are mountainous areas in Rioja Oriental where growing vines was a very traditional activity in the past (Carbonera, Sierra de Yerga, etc.) In Sierra de Yerga the potential is enormous since there are thousands of hectares where very high-quality vineyards could be grown again, as they used to be 30 or 40 years ago before they were removed.
These high-altitude vineyards with poor soils produce late-ripen grapes (unlike those located in the valley) since the temperature is lower due to the Montanists altitude. It is also for this that the veraison and the technological peppering start at the end of August avoiding, in this way, the extreme heat that you would expect during this month. The main advantage of this is that, unlike those vineyards located in the valley, where the acidity is not lost during the ripening and, therefore, fresher wines -with more ageing potential- are obtained.
With the 'Vino de Zona', Rioja Oriental has enough recognition, as well as 'Vino de Municipio' and 'Vinedo Singular', and single grape variety wine. But initially, it needs more marketing communication. It will take some time -probably even generations- to recover these high-altitude vineyards but this is crucial for la Rioja Oriental to have the international recognition of its wines quality and authenticity it deserves.
(Thanks to Javier Arizcuren, the winemaker of Arizcuren winery, who provide the critical information of Baja)
VI. Conclusion: Towards the future
A short drive through the Rioja region and a look at its landscapes is enough to discover that this is an area ideally suited for single vineyard wine production. Among the rolling hills sprout thousands of acres of vineyards broken up into small plots, creating many clearly defined areas planted with vines with different climates, soil compositions, orientations and sun exposure. Tomorrow’s wine market will continue to be stressed characterized by standardization, global oversupply, and declining per-capita consumption. If the D.O.Ca. Rioja wants to maintain its position of leadership, it must tackle the growing divide between the large producers, focused on sales volumes and cut-throat prices and the smaller, quality-focused producers who want to make the most out of the ideal conditions for grape growing the area boasts. Of course, the solution is not always a matter of size. Rioja has a collection of large producers who have wines with amazingly good quality. It all comes down to re-thinking the region-wide approach to marketing and promotion, a system that is proven to encourage mediocrity and has recurrently run aground on the guarantee of quality because it rewards those that can produce large volumes inexpensively and sell at low prices taking advantage of the region’s prestige, over those dedicated and conscientious producers who want to make better quality wines.
One of the best things in the world of wine is its diversity and the fact that such a wide range of regional styles exist should be celebrated. The natural evolution for the D.O.C. Rioja is to include village-based sub-appellations first (it already allows producers to put village names on the labels) and later officially recognize single vineyard wines. This would help raise the average quality of Rioja wines and assure future market success.
In conclusion, in a globalized and competitive world, the search for foreign markets is no longer an option, but rather a necessity for quality wine from Designations of Origin as a guarantee of future growth. Continually with the products diversity, philosophy and strategy. Consequently, internationalization is defined not only by the mere fact of exporting but also by the obligation to be competitive. The most influential factors of such competitiveness are economies of scale, product differentiation, and price.
A. The old classification is still key-sector to motive Rioja wines sales: Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva are well-known in global wine sales. Producers could stick on it to access the younger generation. For the entry level (especially the Cosecha category for the terroir-oriented winemakers) to high-end level wines, Rioja take a good position in the global wine market. For the life-style-oriented wine consumption, Rioja wines show a characteristic to the audience. The new classification will be a revolution and fresh advantages of Rioja wines, but it will take years to achieve.
B. “Region heroes” wineries in the last century will remain their influence, not only in wine sales but also in style-setting. Rioja as an appellation of origin needs volume and strong brands to be visible in the marketplace, something that 2000 micro-wineries could never achieve. The idea that Riojas can be blends of grapes and wine from different corners of the region as well as single estate wines is one of the region’s strengths. Some notable Rioja producers like Bodegas Bilbaínas, Bodegas Riojanas, Contino, CVNE, López de Heredia, Marqués de Murrieta, Marqués de Riscal, Muga, La Rioja Alta. They are playing very important roles. For example, Muga is not only a traditional producer but also a pioneer of oak-ageing method. Historical reputation is no conflict to modern concept, on the contrary, one is a faithful ally to another.
C. “Rising stars” could be the new-coming winemaker, single variety wine or quality site wine (Terruño focused/revival of local varieties/anfora adopted): Abel Mendoza, Aldonia, Artadi, Baigorri, Finca Allende, Palacios Remondo, Pujanza, Remelluri, Remirez de Ganuza, Roda, Telmo Rodriguez, Benjamin Romeo, Señorio de San Vicente, Sierra Cantabria, Artuke, Olivier Rivière, Exopto, Basilio Izquierdo, Laventura, Paco Garcia, Juan Carlos Sancha and Arizcuren. This new-wave will benefit through the new classification is adopted. Some of them are used to work in the “Region heroes” and knew the everything about the previous classification for. “Rising stars” are not isolated by the historical recognition but the new blood of it. They make the Rioja is on a roll and get more attractive to the world. All sorts of new features while savoring continued sales growth in a country where the wine industry has been somewhat in the doldrums.