Rioja
Continental with Atlantic and Mediterranean influences
Spain's most famous quality-wine region, on the upper Ebro, defined by oak-aged Tempranillo blends classified from Crianza to Gran Reserva.
Overview
About Rioja
Rioja became Spain's first DOCa in 1991. It lies along the upper Ebro river and is divided into three sub-zones: Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, which are higher and cooler, and Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja), which is warmer and drier. Tempranillo leads, blended with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo.
The region's style owes much to the 1860s and 70s, when phylloxera in France sent Bordeaux winemakers south and taught local producers about barrel-ageing. Traditional wines are aged for long periods in American oak, which adds vanilla and dill notes, while modern producers often use French oak. On the label, a red Crianza has at least two years' ageing (one in oak), a Reserva three years, and a Gran Reserva five.
Hover a marker to see what's grown there, and click it to open that place. On a touch screen, tap once to preview and again to open. Bigger markers have more grapes linked to them.
Spain
Shaded: La Rioja, Álava. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Continental with Atlantic and Mediterranean influences
Atlantic in the west, where Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa are cooler and wetter, becoming warmer, drier and more Mediterranean toward Rioja Oriental. The Cantabrian mountains to the north shelter the region from the worst of the weather.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Three main soil types along the Ebro: calcareous clay, ferrous (red) clay and alluvial soils. The higher-altitude sites in Rioja Alta and Alavesa are mostly clay-limestone, giving fresher, more structured wines.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Rioja's labels are ranked by ageing, so it is easy to read: the longer in barrel and bottle, the higher the tier.
Gran Reserva
At least five years' ageing before release, including two in oak. Made only in the best years.
Reserva
At least three years, with one in oak.
Crianza
At least two years, with one in oak.
Joven
Young wine released with little or no oak ageing.
Viñedo Singular
A single-vineyard designation, added in 2017 to recognise specific sites.
Within Rioja
Appellations
Rioja Alavesa
A small, hilly, cool subzone in the Basque province of Álava, prized for perfumed, fine-grained Tempranillo from high-altitude plots.
Rioja Alta
Rioja's cooler, wetter western zone around Haro, closest to the Atlantic, long the traditional home of the region's longest-aged Reserva and Gran Reserva.
Rioja Oriental
Rioja's warmest, driest zone, formerly called Rioja Baja, where Garnacha thrives alongside Tempranillo in riper, fuller-bodied wine.
What's grown here
Grapes
Grapes linked to Rioja or to a place within it. Each grape's page links back here.