La Rioja off Culture, Everyday culture, Food drink, Wine, Well-known wineries, Spain

La Rioja Wine Region

Geographical Location

Located in northern Spain, La Rioja borders Castile-Léon, Navarra, Aragon and the Basque Country.

Grape Varieties

Red: Tempranillo (61%), Garnacha (18%), Mazuelo (3.5%) and Graciano(0.7%)
White: Viura(15%), Malvasia(0.25%) and Garnacha Blanca (0.09% of the cultivated area)

Climate and Soils

Continental climate, warm in summer and cool in winter. Lime and red-grey loam predominate as soils.

Size and Locations

1,200 bodegas grow wine on 63,500 hectares, which is processed into 278 million liters of wine.

Features

A few Rioja bodegas produce Spanish sparkling wine under the DO Cava.