The wine-making region of Rioja is recognized by wine lovers for quality and reliability, due in part to the laws of the region that govern minimum ageing requirements. These laws set a high standard, but it is the individual wineries that raise the bar even higher and Viña Real is the perfect example.
Rioja Alavesa
Rioja is situated in the north of Spain in the Upper Ebro region along the River Ebro and is named after a tributary called the Río Oja. This, the country’s leading wine region, is broken down into three areas: Rioja Alavesa, producing light wines with great finesse; Rioja Alta, whose wines are the backbone for many blends and Rioja Baja known for early maturing styles. The wines are principally made from red grapes, with Tempranillo being the main one, along with smaller plantings of Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha.
Age Worthy Wines
It was in 1920 that the vineyards of Viña Real were planted. At this time, the wines were produced from grapes grown around Elciego, at the center of the Alavesa province. Today these vineyards still exist and have expanded to border the Camino Real (Royal Road), a highway used historically to link León and Madrid; hence the name Viña Real.
The Tempranillo grape is revered in Rioja as it produces wines unique to the terroir and yields wines which benefit from barrel and bottle ageing. At Viña Real, the grapes are carefully selected and only the very best will be used in the wine and great care and precision is taken in the winery to let the expression of the region reflect in the final wine.
The Wines of Viña Real
While Viña Real do produce a superb barrel fermented white made from 100% Viura grapes, it is their range of red wines that continue to impress. The series consists of a Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, all of which have to be aged for a certain length of time, both in barrel and bottle, as determined by Spanish law, but at Viña Real, the wines are usually aged for much longer than is required, achieving wines of spectacular complexity.
The flagship of the collection is the Pagos de Viña Real, a wine of 100% Tempranillo that are sourced solely from their own vineyards near the city of Logroño. Strict selection of the grapes occurs both in the vineyard and again at the winery to ensure only the very best quality. Fermentation takes place in small oak vats which allows optimum results. A secondary fermentation happens in new 225 litre casks made of French oak which provide the Pagos de Viña Real with its individual characteristics.
Rioja is a trusted region producing many exciting wines and for an example of one of the best, look for a bottle of Viña Real.
