Rioja Wine Region | a bit of history & wine

Rioja is the Spanish Flagship for red still wines in the world . Rioja has got to this level  today thanks to a past full of events related to wine. All these events explain the history of Riojan wine. The Rioja wine region as we know it today has a very interesting history connected to the monastery, the Camino of Santiago and the wine crisis in Europe caused by the phylloxera plague. 

The origins of wine in Rioja

Roman objects used for wine production have been found in Rioja. These containers were used for fermenting wine. Their presence confirms the production of wine in Rioja since ancient times.

Subsequently it was the monasteries which would have an important role in the production of wine. There is an act by which the King of Navarre donated vineyards to the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla.

Rioja is part of the Camino de Santiago (Saint James Way). The pilgrims were offered wine while they stayed in the monasteries located along the Way. We can imagine that these pilgrims would be the first to promote the name Rioja wines when they were back to their countries.

Rioja and the beginning of wine commerce

In 1560 the Rioja wine producers agreed to put a common label on their wines. The idea was to guarantee the origin of their wines. This was needed due to unfair practices in commerce…Trade wars date back to many centuries ago as we can see.

One of the main problems for selling Rioja wines was the distance to a port. This was a problem if we compare this situation with that of other wine producing regions in France such as the Loire or Bordeaux, who dominated part of the wine trade at certain times of the Middle Ages. The history of these wine regions is clearly closely connected to commerce.

Transport and the use of oak barrels

In 1560 the Rioja wine producers agreed to put a common label on their wines. The idea was to guarantee the origin of their wines. This was needed due to unfair practices in commerce…Trade wars date back to many centuries ago as we can see.

One of the main problems for selling Rioja wines was the distance to a port. This was a problem if we compare this situation with that of other wine producing regions in France such as the Loire or Bordeaux, who dominated part of the wine trade at certain times of the Middle Ages. The history of these wine regions is clearly closely connected to commerce.

Wine ageing and French influence

Camilo Hurtado de Amezaga learned the production methods in Medoc. He built a winery in Elciego in Rioja Alavesa and requested to plant 50 hectares of vineyard. Phylloxera arrived in Bordeaux and the French demand for wine from Rioja increased. A French winemaker, Jean Pineau, got into the history of Rioja wines then… He recommended the use of large wooden casks for maceration purposes and wine ageing in smaller barrels of 225 litres. It was the Bordeaux method and its introduction in the Rioja wine reality.

The method was however not followed by many growers, because they considered it as expensive and laborious. The wines of Marques de Riscal obtained, however, a great success in international competitions. This success encouraged other producers and the lack of wine made ​​in Bordeaux brought French investment to Rioja. The region and its wines became consolidated and built a reputation that has grown till today.