Rioja Alavesa

Rioja's wine culture goes back to Ancient Rome. The Designation of Origin Rioja was created in 1925, with 1926 marking year one for the Control Board, and in 1991 Rioja became the first Qualified Designation of Origin (DOCa) awarded in Spain; Rioja Alavesa is one of its three zones. Even before phylloxera pushed Bordeaux growers south, the Álava native Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga, the Marqués de Riscal, was asked by the local Álava government to persuade growers to adopt Bordeaux methods in their vineyards, and sought the expertise of Jean Pineau, winemaker at Château Lanessan in the Haut-Médoc. Marqués de Riscal was founded in 1858, made its first bottling in 1862, and was the first non-French wine to win the diploma of honour at the Bordeaux Exhibition. In the second half of the 19th century Bordeaux vignerons whose vineyards had been destroyed by phylloxera set up in Rioja, bringing practices that included ageing in 225-litre oak barriques. Most of Rioja Alavesa is part of the Basque Country, and the Basque regional government has long sought control over those vineyards; the Asociación de Bodegas de Rioja Alavesa (ABRA) has discussed taking its 100 member wineries out of the DOCa, but held no vote (as of 2024).

• 1925: Designation of Origin Rioja created; 1926: year one for the Control Board; 1991: first DOCa awarded in Spain
• Marqués de Riscal was founded in 1858 by Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga, who sought the expertise of Jean Pineau of Château Lanessan
• Bordeaux vignerons hit by phylloxera brought ageing in 225-litre oak barriques to Rioja in the second half of the 19th century
• 18 of DOCa Rioja's 144 municipalities are in the Basque Country (2026)

Rioja Alavesa lies on the northeastern bank of the Ebro and extends over a little more than 300 km2 in the south of Álava. Its vineyards are on terraces or small plots, and the Sierra de Cantabria protects them from the cold and the humidity of the Cantabrian Sea. A Foehn effect on the range creates a dense cloud over the mountains and a favourable wind for the mostly south-oriented vineyards. Atlantic climate influence and clay-calcareous soils on terraces and small plots predominate, and the protection of the Sierra de Cantabria to the north is even more decisive here than in Rioja Alta. The Atlantic climate brings more humidity and generally colder temperatures than in the other two zones, in summer and winter alike; hours of sunlight are similar to Rioja Alta and rainfall is somewhat lower. Vineyards follow the slopes into the Sierra Cantabria, and altitude plays a defining role in the character of the wines. Artadi's vineyards lie at the foot of the Sierra de Toloño, at the heart of the Sonsierra Alavesa.

• Location: northeastern bank of the Ebro, a little more than 300 km2 in the south of Álava
• Soils: 95% clay-limestone; Decanter (2024) places most of the best vineyards in terraces on iron-rich clay and limestone soils
• Shelter: the Sierra de Cantabria protects vineyards from the cold and humidity of the Cantabrian Sea and produces a Foehn effect
• Altitude: a defining influence on the character of Alavesa wines

The zone's balanced clay-limestone soil is well suited to growing Tempranillo. Its red varieties are Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, and its whites Malvasía, Tempranillo Blanco and Viura; the 2022 vintage yielded 80,644,931 kg of grapes, of which 73,665,032 kg were red and 6,979,899 kg white. Across the DOCa, Tempranillo occupies most of the plantation, Garnacha stands out for its freshness and versatility, Graciano is known for its aromas, colour, acidity and intensity, and Mazuelo for its abundant tannins, high acidity and stable colour; Viura has been the predominant white grape in the DOCa since the 1970s. The Álava landscape is dotted with small Tempranillo and Viura vineyards, a patchwork of smaller plots, many with vines 50 to 100+ years old. The local speciality is a carbonically macerated, youthful, fresh style of red. Lighter, younger and fruitier reds are fermented with whole grapes (carbonic maceration), destemmed, or a combination of both, while reds with more body and ageing potential are generally destemmed. Rioja Alavesa wines tend to be versatile, suited both to more immediate drinking and to ageing, with average alcohol somewhat higher and acidity somewhat lower than in Rioja Alta.

• Red varieties in the zone: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano; whites: Malvasía, Tempranillo Blanco and Viura
• 2022 vintage: 80,644,931 kg of grapes, 73,665,032 kg red and 6,979,899 kg white
• Graciano is known for aromas, colour and acidity; Mazuelo for abundant tannins, high acidity and stable colour (DOCa-wide)
• Local speciality: a carbonically macerated, youthful, fresh red

Marqués de Riscal's original bodega in Elciego was begun in 1860 by the engineer Ricardo Bellsolá, and El Palomar followed in 1883 in the style of the Bordeaux cellars. Its City of Wine was inaugurated in 2006, and the Hotel Marqués de Riscal, designed by Frank O. Gehry and clad in titanium, was inaugurated on 10 October 2006. Bodegas Ysios stands beside Bodegas Ruiz de Viñaspre, in the foothills between Laguardia and the Cantabrian mountains; its wave-like roof, designed by Santiago Calatrava to reflect the mountain backdrop, proved less waterproof than desired. Ysios's Singular Vineyards in Elvillar include Finca Las Naves, 1.1 hectares planted before 1902 at 540 to 560 metres. Artadi's project began in 1985 and has been led by the Lacalle y Laorden family since 1992; it has 56 hectares of vineyards in Laguardia and Elvillar de Álava (2026), at the foot of the Sierra de Toloño. In 2015 it emerged that, from the 2014 vintage, all Artadi wines would be labelled as Vino de Mesa, without the Rioja name or the official back label. Viñedos del Contino, one of CVNE's wineries, was founded in 1973, and CVNE calls it the first Rioja chateau concept winery; its former manor house stands at Laserna, in the municipality of Laguardia. Remelluri, in Labastida, is Telmo Rodríguez's family estate, founded by his father in the late 1960s. Decanter (2024) names Remírez de Ganuza, Luis Cañas, Ostatu, Artadi and Contino among the Alavesa wineries that played a key role in Rioja's 'modernist' style in the 1980s, and Abel Mendoza, Artuke, Bodegas Bhilar and Telmo Rodríguez among the producers looking back to 'ancestral' Rioja.

• Marqués de Riscal (Elciego, founded 1858): original bodega begun 1860, El Palomar 1883, Gehry-designed hotel inaugurated 10 October 2006
• Bodegas Ysios: wave-like roof by Santiago Calatrava; Singular Vineyards in Elvillar including Finca Las Naves, planted before 1902
• Artadi (project begun 1985): 56 hectares in Laguardia and Elvillar de Álava (2026); wines labelled Vino de Mesa from the 2014 vintage
• Viñedos del Contino (Laserna, Laguardia, founded 1973): a CVNE winery; Remelluri (Labastida): Telmo Rodríguez's family estate, founded in the late 1960s

The Consejo Regulador presents Rioja Alavesa as an international benchmark in wine tourism, from megalithic monuments and Bronze Age sites to vineyard landscapes dotted with medieval villages and designer wineries. Legend holds that King Sancho Abarca of Navarra founded La Guardia de Navarra on its hilltop in 908. The hill is riddled with tunnels. Casa Primicia is the oldest property in the medieval hamlet, dating from the 15th century; wine was made on the site from the 16th century, and the tunnels now serve as cellars for its own wines. In Elciego, the Marqués de Riscal City of Wine lets visitors explore the bodega's history from its foundation in 1858; it includes the Gehry-designed hotel, a fine dining restaurant under the Riojan chef Francis Paniego, and the Spa Vinothérapie Caudalie. Since 2017 DOCa Rioja has recognised Vino de Municipio wines, which may carry the names of the DOCa's 144 municipalities on the label, and Viñedo Singular wines, which require vineyards more than 35 years old, harvesting by hand and a second tasting rated excellent.

• Laguardia: by legend, founded as La Guardia de Navarra by King Sancho Abarca of Navarra in 908
• Casa Primicia, Laguardia: a 15th-century property whose tunnels serve as cellars
• Marqués de Riscal City of Wine, Elciego: Gehry-designed hotel with 61 bedrooms, restaurants and a Caudalie vinotherapy spa
• Vino de Municipio and Viñedo Singular categories recognised since 2017; Viñedo Singular requires vines over 35 years old and hand harvesting

Primary sources (Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja and the named producers' own sites): https://riojawine.com/en-gb/production-areas/rioja-alavesa/, https://riojawine.com/en-gb/production-areas/, https://riojawine.com/en-gb/the-designation/history/, https://riojawine.com/en-gb/the-designation/grape-varieties/, https://riojawine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/pliego-de-condiciones-am12-consolidado-15-02-2024.pdf, https://riojawine.com/en-gb/the-designation/classification/municipal-wines/, https://riojawine.com/en-gb/the-designation/types-of-wine/red-wines/, https://riojawine.com/en-gb/the-designation/, https://riojawine.com/en-gb/the-designation/classification/vinedo-singular-wine/, https://www.marquesderiscal.com/en/our-history, https://www.marquesderiscal.com/en/marques-de-riscal-hotel, https://www.marquesderiscal.com/en/the-marques-de-riscal-city-of-wine, https://www.marquesderiscal.com/en/winery, https://www.marquesderiscal.com/en/marques-de-riscal-reserva, https://bodegasysios.com/en/vineyards/, https://artadi.com/en/history/, https://artadi.com/en/vineyards/, https://artadi.com/en/wines/, https://cvne.com/en/wineries/vinedos-del-contino/, https://cvne.com/en/wines/contino-gran-reserva/, https://contino.es/en/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/premium/exploring-rioja-alavesa-531450/, https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/spain/the-push-for-rioja-crus-280026/, https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/spain/wine-trails-six-rioja-wineries-to-visit-280132/. Last verified 2026-10-05