1922 Rioja & Spain Vintage

The early 1920s represent a transition period in Rioja's history. The devastating phylloxera epidemic had swept through the region in the late 19th century, and replanting on American rootstocks was still consolidating. At the same time, the disruption caused by World War I had damaged Spain's export relationships, and producers were working to re-establish trade. Crucially, Rioja would not gain its first formal Consejo Regulador until 1926, meaning vintages of this era were produced in the complete absence of regulated quality standards or geographical delimitation.

• Phylloxera reconstruction was ongoing: many vineyards replanted in the early 1900s were still maturing in 1922
• No regulatory framework existed; the Consejo Regulador was established in 1926, four years after this vintage
• WWI had disrupted export trade, and bodegas were in the process of rebuilding commercial relationships in the early 1920s
• The Spanish DO system was formally initiated in 1925, with the Rioja Consejo Regulador following in 1926

A handful of pioneering bodegas had already established themselves as the pillars of Rioja quality by 1922. Marqués de Riscal, founded in 1858 in Elciego, was the oldest of the major estates and had introduced Bordeaux techniques and French varieties to the region. López de Heredia, established around 1877 in Haro, had recently completed planting their flagship Viña Tondonia vineyard in 1913 and 1914. CVNE, also based in Haro's Barrio de la Estación since 1879, was already exporting wines internationally, including documented shipments to Cuba. Marqués de Murrieta, founded in Logroño in the 1850s, was also an established presence.

• Marqués de Riscal (est. 1858, Elciego): pioneered Bordeaux techniques in Rioja Alavesa; maintains historical bottles dating to 1860
• López de Heredia (est. ~1877, Haro): Viña Tondonia planted 1913–14 on the right bank of the Ebro in Rioja Alta
• CVNE (est. 1879, Haro): documented 1922 export wine for the Cuban market survives as a historical label artifact
• Marqués de Murrieta (est. 1850s, Logroño): one of the original pioneering estates, also drawing on Bordeaux influence

In the early 1920s, Rioja's vineyards were a mosaic of varieties reflecting both indigenous tradition and the Bordeaux influence that had transformed the region. Tempranillo formed the backbone of red wines, blended with Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo. White wines were produced from Viura and Malvasía. Winemaking was broadly traditional, with extended oak aging in American barrels the dominant style, as had been established by the Bordeaux-trained pioneers of the 19th century. Without regulatory controls, blending across subregions was common practice.

• Tempranillo was the primary red variety, supplemented by Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo
• Extended American oak aging was the dominant stylistic approach, inherited from 19th-century Bordeaux influence
• Blending across Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Baja was standard practice with no regulatory restrictions
• White wines based on Viura and Malvasía were produced alongside reds at the major bodegas

The concentration of great bodegas in Haro's Barrio de la Estación was no accident. The railway connection, established in the 19th century, made Haro the natural hub for exporting Rioja wines to Bilbao and beyond. By 1922, López de Heredia, CVNE, and several other leading producers were all based in this iconic district. The surviving CVNE 1922 label, produced specifically for an importer in Havana, Cuba, illustrates that even in this difficult early post-war period, Rioja producers were actively engaged in international markets. Export documents and labels from this era represent some of the few surviving primary sources on the vintage.

• Haro's Barrio de la Estación grouped López de Heredia, CVNE, and other leading producers around the railway hub
• The railway enabled efficient export to Bilbao and international markets from the mid-19th century onward
• A CVNE 1922 'claret' label for Havana, Cuba survives as one of the few documented artifacts of wine from that year
• Export market preferences and importer requirements significantly shaped how Rioja producers presented and labeled their wines

No 1922 Rioja wines are known to exist in drinkable condition. Any surviving bottles would be well over a century old and should be considered purely as museum or archival artifacts. The wines of this era were generally intended for consumption within a few years of production, though the leading bodegas produced select Reserva and Gran Reserva wines with greater aging ambitions. Marqués de Riscal's historical cellar, the largest of its kind in Europe, holds bottles dating to 1860, but such survivals are extreme rarities requiring impeccable provenance. Authentication of any claimed 1922 bottle would present enormous challenges.

• No 1922 Rioja wines are known to exist in commercially drinkable condition; any examples are museum-quality artifacts
• Marqués de Riscal's historical cellar holds over 140,000 bottles dating to 1860, offering the closest parallel for extreme old-vintage survivals
• Provenance and authentication of any claimed 1922 bottle would be exceptionally difficult given minimal documentation from the era
• Wines of this period were largely intended for near-term consumption; only top Reserva and Gran Reserva selections were made for longer aging

For WSET and MW students, the 1922 vintage is significant not for any intrinsic quality claim but as a marker of Rioja's pre-regulatory era. The vintage predates the 1926 Consejo Regulador, the 1933 formal DO, and the 1991 DOCa designation. Studying this period illuminates how the region's quality framework developed, why the founding bodegas matter historically, and how phylloxera reconstruction shaped the modern vineyard. The documented survival of a CVNE 1922 export label also offers a tangible window into early 20th-century Rioja commercial practices.

• Predates all of Rioja's formal regulatory milestones: Consejo Regulador (1926), DO (1933), and DOCa (1991)
• Illustrates the post-phylloxera reconstruction era, when vineyard replanting on American rootstocks was still maturing
• Documents the commercial reach of Haro-based bodegas like CVNE, which was exporting to Cuba by 1922
• Reinforces the historical importance of pioneer estates: Marqués de Riscal, López de Heredia, CVNE, and Marqués de Murrieta