Rioja still as vibrant as ever

The primary reason for this is because it has done some serious soul-searching. Long the country’s unrivalled leader, it came under increasing fire from its most formidable rivals – mainly Spanish – in the 2000s, as they came out all guns blazing with significant marketing drives and targeted investments. It suddenly risked being toppled from its long-established position as Spain’s supreme wine region, but it did not intend to go lying down, reacting to the coup with great lucidity. Buoyed by a more open-minded upcoming generation, Rioja has pushed the boundaries in many ways, starting at the broadest level of its production zones – Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental, which is no longer referred to as Rioja Baja. It has introduced new categories such as ‘viñedo singular’ and ‘vino de municipio’ and has changed the style of the wines, favouring greater freshness by tweaking maturation techniques in order to preserve their identity. The packaging – a critical key to excelling in export markets which have now become pivotal to success in a globalised wine arena – has been modernised. The thread running through all of these changes is common sense. Greater awareness of the need for change among producers has allowed Rioja’s wine industry to reach a level probably never before attained. The resultant wines, which are exported across the globe, are constantly under scrutiny, being ruthlessly ‘dissected’. Their success confirms that the changes were founded and judicious, allowing the industry to adapt to new consumer patterns without turning its back on its identity and the unique character of its heritage.

By Isabelle Escande photographs - Courtesy of the estates

The vineyards at bodega heredad de baroja are sheltered to the north by the cantabrian moutains