Types of Wine/Grapes
Grape varieties:
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Red varieties are tempranillo, garnacha tinta, graciano and
mazuelo.
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White varieties are viura, malvasia and garnacha blanca.
Climate/Geography
Rioja is located in the three provinces of La Rioja, Alava and
Navarra. It is divided into three regions: the Rioja Alta and Rioja
Alavesa are in the west, and the Rioja Baja is in the east and influenced
by the warm Mediterranean.
The vineyards cover some 60,000 hectares and vary in altitude
from over 600 meters in the west, with its calcareous clay soil, down to
300 meters in the more heavily clayed soils of the Baja.
The winters are cold, with snowfall in January, while
the summers are gloriously warm but seldom intensely hot. Rainfall is
modest.
Nature has been very generous to Rioja. Not only is it sheltered from
the worst Atlantic influences by the Cantabria and Demanda mountain
ranges, but it also boasts the great River Ebro that almost bisects
Spain.
The Ebro runs right through the Rioja region, creating a series of
microclimates as it provides much needed water for the vines.
For additional information about Rioja wines, consult the Rioja
Regulatory Council´s official website www.riojawine.com
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