History of Rioja wine

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

St. James at Santiago de Compostela passed through the region and carried back with them the reputation of wines from the area. The phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century was a major catalyst in the expansion and modernization of the Rioja wine industry, with the devastation of the French wine industry both opening up the French wine market and bringing an influx of French investment into the region. Today, together with Sherry, Rioja is the most internationally recognized of all Spanish wines
.

Early history and Roman times

Ancient Romans in the early 2nd century BC and probably came under Roman rule through treaties with the local Celtiberian and Vascon tribes. Vineyards were established at settlements near modern-day Calahorra and Logroño and bodegas soon sprang up in order to supply the Roman troops.

Ruins from the Roman settlement of Vareia near the location of modern-day Logroño.

Archaeological exploration has uncovered evidence of a local

Cabernet franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot in the Médoc wine region.[2]

Middle Ages and Renaissance

Remains of a medieval wine press in the Rioja Alavesa

Vineyards occupied the usual part of rural landscapes in medieval Rioja during the High Middle Ages (10th–13th century) [3] There are proofs of Rioja wine export towards other regions as early as the late 13th century, which testifies the beginnings of a commercial production.[4]

From the 15th century on, the Rioja Alta specialized in wine growing.

el Camino de Santiago took thousands of Christian pilgrims right through the heart of the Rioja throughout the Middle Ages, just as it does today. Whereas many visitors sampled the local wine and the reputation of the region became widespread, not many samples of the wines left the area.[6]

Statue of St. James the Apostle in Logroño
that greeted the pilgrims traveling through Rioja on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

Following the

Santander where it became available to Dutch and English wine merchants.[7] This developing trade with its Basque Country neighbors served as an impetus for the bodegas to expand their wine production.[6]
As the region's reputation grew, the local authorities tried to implement safeguards to protect the quality and reputation of the wine.

In 1560 the use of grapes from outside the Rioja region was prohibited and wine exported from the region had to transported in bota bags, branded with a seal to guarantee the authenticity of their contents.[8]

Rebirth during the 18th and 19th centuries

Baldomero Espartero, Duke de la Victoria.

In the 1780s,

longevity of Rioja wines. This opened up their export potential, and markets soon developed in places as far-flung as Cuba and Mexico. Despite this success, the regional authorities dictated that the all Rioja wines, whether destined for foreign or domestic consumption, must be the same price, regardless of the added expense incurred by oak aging. This significant economic disadvantage caused the use of oak to fall out of favor for almost a century.[6]

The

ferment the grapes, in place of the outdoor stone lagos in which grapes were traditionally crushed by the feet of the vineyard workers. Murrieta also reintroduced the use of oak for aging.[9]

The phylloxera louse.

In the 1850s, the fungal disease

négociant and French winemakers, mostly from Bordeaux, traveled to the Rioja to set up wineries, where they could continue to produce wine – bringing with them extensive knowledge, techniques and experience. This ushered in a period of unprecedented growth and prosperity for the Rioja wine industry.[10]

The subsequent boom in the Rioja wine industry lasted until phylloxera finally reached the region itself in the 1890s. By then the cure of grafting American rootstock had been successfully employed in France and it was only a matter of time before the Spanish were able to replant their own vineyards with the new grafted vines. In the meantime, regional authorities stepped in to sharply curb all wine imports, so that the local wine supply would take priority. Laws were passed prohibiting the export of wines from any bodega producing less 750,000 liters of wine per annum.[11]

Modern times

At the turn of the 20th century, Rioja had established itself as the most recognizable name for Spanish wine outside of Spain. However the effects of World War I, the Spanish Civil War and World War II created trying times for the Rioja industry. Country-wide hunger resulted in government decrees stating that vineyards had to be torn up and replanted with wheat in order to feed the populace. It wasn't till the 1960s that many of these lands would be planted with vines once again. The 1970 vintage was a turning point for the Rioja wine industry, widely hailed as the "vintage of the century" and ranked by wine critics as one of the best of any region in the world. This success caused a surge in consumer interest in the wines, and with that an influx of foreign investment in the vineyards and bodegas of the Rioja.[12]

In the 1980s, a steady stream of under-performing vintages and excessively high prices caused a significant drop in sales, while other

Denominación de Origen Calificada status, with which the Spanish recognised the Rioja as its premier wine region.[14]

References

  1. ISBN 0-671-68702-6
  2. ISBN 0-671-68702-6
  3. ^ Ghislain BAURY, "Les origines d'un grand vignoble actuel. La vigne dans le paysage agricole de la Haute-Rioja au Moyen Âge central", Bernard BODINIER, Stéphanie LACHAUD et Corinne MARACHE (dir.), L’Univers du vin. Hommes, paysages et territoires. Actes du colloque de Bordeaux (4-5 octobre 2012), Caen, Association d'Histoire des Sociétés Rurales, 2014, p. 311-323 [1].
  4. ^ Francisco Javier GOICOLEA JULIÁN, « El vino en el mundo urbano riojano a finales de la Edad Media », 'En la España Medieval', no 30, 2007, p. 217-244.
  5. ^ Alain HUETZ DE LEMPS, 'Vignobles et vins du nord-ouest de l'Espagne', Bordeaux, Féret, 1967.
  6. ^
    ISBN 0671687026
  7. ISBN 0671687026
  8. ISBN 0756613248
  9. ^
    ISBN 0-671-68702-6
  10. ISBN 1-56305-434-5
  11. ISBN 0-671-68702-6
  12. ISBN 1-56305-434-5
  13. ISBN 0-7892-0883-0
  14. ISBN 0-19-860990-6
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