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Spain's Wine Route, gastronomic privilege

The wine producing region of Rioja is situated in the Ebro valley. Its northern border is determined by the Sierra de Cantabria mountain range, and in the south by Sierra de la Demanda, and the resulting conditions create a very privileged environment for vineyards.

The 57,000 hectares of vines which currently make up the region of the Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja are located in three Autonomous Communities, La Rioja, the Basque Country and Navarra. Their average annual yield is 250 million litres, 85% of which is red wine, with the rest whites or rosés.

SUB-AREAS	CLIMATIC INFLUENCE	APPROXIMATE AREA OF VINEYARDS	CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WINES
RIOJA ALTA	Atlantic	24.457 hectares	- Medium alcohol content. - Full-bodied with high total acidity - Suitable for aging in casks
RIOJA ALAVESA	Atlantic and Mediterranean	12.050 hectares	- Red wines with average alcohol content and total acidity - Ready for drinking (young wines obtained via carbonic maceration) and also for aging in casks
RIOJA BAJA	Mediterranean	20.907 hectares	- Reds and rosés with higher alcohol content and extract

Although Rioja covers a relatively small area, it has different types of soil and climatic conditions. This affects the development of the vines, resulting in distinctive characteristics which are ingrained in the special nature of our wines.

As the land of Rioja slopes down from west to east, so the climate becomes increasingly drier and hotter, due to the Mediterranean influence.

The technical development experienced by Riojan viticulture for thousands of years constitutes the ultimate foundation of the great quality, prestige and character of Rioja wines. The passage of time and the experience of the grapegrowers and winemakers have propitiated the natural selection of those varieties of grape which were best able to adapt to Riojan soils and climate, and which, at the same time, were able to produce wines of the highest quality. The fruit of this historical process are the seven varieties of grape which are currently permitted by the Regulations of the Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja. These grape varieties, which are described here, were studied extensively at the end of the 19th century, as seen by the numerous research papers published at the time by the Haro Œnological Research Station under the leadership of its Director, Víctor Cruz Manso de Zúñiga.

Red grape varieties:


TEMPRANILLO	GARNACHA	MAZUELO	GRACIANO

White grape varieties:


VIURA	MALVASIA	WHITE GARNACHA

There are THREE TYPES OF SOIL suitable for growing vines in Rioja:

	Areas where they are found	Porcentage of total surface	Characteristics of the ground	Characteristics of the wines
Chalky clay	Rioja Alavesa, Sonsierra and Rioja Alta	25%	Small, terraced plots	- Rich in glycerine extract - Good colour - Basis of red Riojas - Whites with character, light in colour
Ferrous clay	Found in plots throughout the region	25%	Sloping. Reddish brown and hard with deep hard rock	- Light reds with medium body - Rosés
Alluvial	Found in plots throughout the wine region near rivers	50%	Large, flat plots with good depth and river stones	- Whites and reds with medium body

This variety of land types does not imply any difference in respect of the quality of the wines produced, since Rioja wine is made from carefully selected grapes from the various areas.

The diversity in soil and climate has led to the classification of this wine region into three sub-areas:

Spain, a gastronomic privilege

Spain, a crossroads where peoples and races meet, a melting pot of cultures, is a place whose gastronomy constitutes one of the richest manifestations of its historical legacy. Rich because of the many civilizations that have left their mark in the Spanish art of cooking and eating, with their traditional flavours and techniques; and also because of the climatic diversity, which makes possible the great variety of products that are the basis of our diet, one of the healthiest in the world, according to nutrition experts. Certainly, Spain does have a privileged gastronomy.

Vegetables and fruits that are a true privilege because in Spain it is possible to have fresh fruits and vegetables all year round, which can reach our tables only a few hours after they have been harvested. A privilege because in Spain we grow olive trees, which give the most natural oil, the healthiest and most flavourful, the only one that can be obtained by pressing alone, and which permeates, with its taste, many of our dishes. A privilege because, in Spain, vines thrive and wine is produced, and according to Leonardo da Vinci, it is only in places like this that happiness can really be attained.

The rich soil of La Rioja enables the preparation of some of the specialities which make up its recognized culinary tradition. Asparagus, beans, peppers, artichokes and other vegetables and pulses are the basic ingredients of a long list of dishes such as vegetable stew, potatoes "a la riojana", lamb and kid cutlets with vine shoots or stuffed peppers. The traditional desserts are pears in wine, the almond pastries from Arnedo or the marzipan from Soto (made with sugar and ground almonds).