Rioja

Rioja is doubtlessly the queen of Spanish red wines made of the tempranillo grape variety (80% of all varieties planted), aged in oak barrels, suitable for every palate: from the simple ones to the top-shelf wines - complex and long-lasting, namely the Gran Reserva.  Tempranillo grown in Rioja is frequently compared with the French pinot noir and Italian sangiovese. Traditional red Rioja is a coupage of wines originating from all three regions and is full of notes of ripe strawberries and raspberries of tempranillo, enriched with a warm accent of French oak, used increasingly more often, with a delicate vanilla and toast aroma. The latest coupage trend is to add a little over a dozen percent of cabernet sauvignon.
Wines in the Rioja region have been produced since the Roman times. Vineyards were built mainly around monasteries prepared for providing for pilgrims taking the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. A large share of development of this region is owed to French winemakers who moved their plantations and production methods here after they have infested the French vineyards with phylloxera. Rioja was the first Spanish region to receive to Denominacion de Origen (DO) in 1926. This was the time of establishing boundaries of the vineyard, the allowed grape varieties, maximum yield, alcohol content, etc. In 1991 this region was also the first to obtain a higher DOC category Wines are classified on the basis of grape quality and ageing. The youngest wine is Joven sold in the first or second year following production. Most frequently they are not aged in barrels. Joven wines are distinguished by unique freshness and fruitiness but also a relative simplicity of flavours and aromas.

The next grade is Crianza. Wines are sold in the third year following production, aged in oak barrels for a minimum of one year and in bottles for a few months. Crianza maintains freshness and fruitiness of young wines, yet it also offers delicate barrel aromas usually of vanilla and pepper.

The next wine is Reserva. Principally, wines are produced only in good and very good years. Before they are sold, wines are aged in barrels for a minimum one year and two years in bottles. Fruit aromas give way to vanilla, coffee, tobacco and smoke. These wines are perfectly suited for food.

The last grade is Gran Reserva only produced in excellent years. Gran Reserva must be aged in barrels for minimum 2 years and in bottles for the next 3 years. These are unique wines, thanks to their ageing potential they can be stored for tens of years only gaining in quality. It is interesting that Spain is practically the only country where wine, although it meets the appellation conditions, still matures until the time when the manager of the bodega decides it is fit for sale, ie. when it is ready to be consumed.

As these wines contain only 12.5 % alcohol, they are delicate and very well tolerated. Wines from La Rioja are perfectly suited for pasta with wild mushroom sauce, with meat stuffed peppers, traditional boiled potatoes with spicy chorizo, traditional Riojan white bean goulash, red peppers, chorizo and tomatoes, grilled lamb cutlets, with half-hard Asiago cheese.

The best, classic Rioja is produced in Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa

Rioja Alta is located at the highest altitude, with the highest rainfall and less sun - wines produced here are more acidic, with more fruity freshness and the highest ageing potential in the region. The Tempranillo variety is grown here most frequently.
Rioja Alavesa, is situated at a lower altitude and has less rainfall than Rioja Alta. It does however, have a better, warmer, southern exposition of the vineyards. This gives more aromatic wines with lower acidity, and a slightly higher alcohol content, maturing faster than Rioja Alta wines.
Rioja Baja, situated at the lowest point, with low rainfall and the highest temperature in the summer. This is where the most popular wines in the regions are produced, with a high alcohol content. The most common variety is Garnacha (Grenache).

BODEGAS BURGO VIEJO

Burgo Viejo – more than Rioja… It is one hundred years of tradition with the avant-garde of the 21 century. The vineyard was founded in 1987 by six families who dreamed of producing wine. 200 hectares of the bodega stretches from the foot of the Erga mountain all the way to the Ebro Valley. This ensures a diversity of soil and microclimate that allows growing a wide variety of grapes, from classic ones to the less well known.

From the very beginning the vineyard took pride in producing wine from grapes collected from its own vineyards. This remains true until today when the wines are exported to the United States, Japan or Canada.

The vineyard produces wines from all varieties admitted in the Rioja appellation – Denomination of Origin Rioja: the flagship variety of the Rioja region - Tempranillo, but also the local Garnacha, Viura, Carignan and ecological Graciano.

The qualified personnel attending the wine during each production stage, care for every detail, wonderful microclimate, modern production methods, wines aged in French and American oak barrels guarantee the exquisite flavour of wines produced here!