La Rioja and its wines, a classic that is always in fashion.
- In La Rioja we can find 71 wineries to visit.
- 26 towns here have wineries.
La Rioja is one of the main wine regions in Spain. In recent times, the production of large reserves has been reduced in favor of the so-called signature wines or high-end wines.
The climate in which the vineyards grow is continental and varies according to the area. The soils are usually clayey or calcareous, also depending on the subzones.
Rioja wine is made mainly, but not only, with the following varieties: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. Among them, the Garnacha grape is occupying an increasingly prominent position in the so-called new trend consumption. Also in recent years, a variety that was on the verge of extinction has been recovered: the white and red Maturana. Although within white wines, which represent around six percent of what is sold, the main grape is Viura.
Rioja wines can be the result of the combination or blend of different percentages of three different grapes, which have traditionally been Tempranillo, Graciano or Mazuelo. However, it must be said that Rioja wines are in a constant process of evolution, and that they experiment and innovate in each of the stages of their production, such as harvesting or pressing, and even, in recent times, in the use of grapes which come solely and exclusively from the plantation itself.
The aging of Rioja wines must be carried out in 225-liter oak barrels. Recordemos que un vino será crianza si tiene dos años o un tiempo superior; si tiene tres años o más, entonces ya es reserva. Solo podremos hablar de un gran reserva cuando el vino haya pasado tres años mínimo en barrica y dos en botella.
¿Cómo es el enoturismo en la provincia de La Rioja?En cuanto al turismo del vino en La Rioja, en esta provincia encontrarás 71 bodegas para visitar, distribuidas a lo largo y ancho de 26 localidades, por las que pasan dos rutas del vino: La de Rioja Alta y la de Rioja Oriental. Si quieres visitar en un día más de una bodega y tener mucha oferta enoturística donde elegir, te recomendamos como principal destino enoturístico el pueblo de Haro, ya que tiene 8 bodegas para visitar y es un pueblo sencillamente precioso.