📍 Rioja

Rioja is a wine appellation in northern Spain, on both banks of the river Ebro, in 144 municipalities of La Rioja, Álava and Navarra. In 2025 it had 66,405 ha of registered vineyards. Since 1991 Rioja has been the country's first appellation in the top DOCa category, and its main grape is Tempranillo.

From Haro in the west to Alfaro in the east the zone stretches for 100 km; the valley with vineyards is up to 40 km wide, and terraces climb to almost 700 m. The climate lies where Atlantic and Mediterranean influences meet, with a little over 400 l/m² of rain a year. The zone has three parts: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, sheltered by the Sierra de Cantabria, and the drier, warmer Rioja Oriental.

A certificate of origin appeared in 1925 and the regulatory council in 1926, and on 3 April 1991 the appellation received “Calificada” status. 14 varieties are permitted, among them Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura, Malvasía and Tempranillo Blanco. Red yields are capped at 6,500 kg/ha, oak chips are banned, and the wine may be bottled only within the zone. In 2025, 312,858,987 bottles were sold.

The label shows ageing. Crianza is a red aged for at least two calendar years, one of them in barrel. Reserva means 36 months, at least 12 of them in barrel and 6 in bottle. Gran Reserva means 60 months, at least 24 in barrel and 24 in bottle. The new “Viñedo Singular” mark denotes a single plot with vines at least 35 years old.

Why it matters to you. Reserva or Gran Reserva guarantees minimum ageing, not a style, and the requirements for whites and rosés are shorter. The name of a zone, a municipality (“Vino de …”) or “Viñedo Singular” points to a more precise place. The DOCa also makes white, rosé and sparkling wines.