Thehistory ofRioja wine reflects a long and variedwinemaking tradition in the Spanish region ofLa Rioja, starting with the firstPhoenician settlers in 11th century BC. As with many of Europe's best-known wine regions, theAncient Romans founded many of the Rioja vineyards. Throughout the Middle Ages,pilgrims to the shrine ofSt. James atSantiago de Compostela passed through the region and carried back with them the reputation of wines from the area. Thephylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century was a major catalyst in the expansion and modernization of the Rioja wine industry, with the devastation of theFrench wine industry both opening up the French wine market and bringing an influx of French investment into the region. Today, together withSherry, Rioja is the most internationally recognized of allSpanish wines.
The earliest vine-growing people to reach the Rioja were the Phoenicians, who traveled up theEbro river and left traces of settlements nearAlfaro. The Rioja region wasconquered by theAncient Romans in the early 2nd century BC and probably came under Roman rule through treaties with the localCeltiberian andVascon tribes.Vineyards were established at settlements near modern-dayCalahorra andLogroño and bodegas soon sprang up in order to supply the Roman troops.
Archaeological exploration has uncovered evidence of a localcistern from that period with the capacity to hold 75,000liters of wine.[1] Wine historianRoger Dion has theorized that when the Romans settled inBordeaux, some of the plantcuttings that they took with them may have originated in Rioja vineyards, in the form of an ancient vineBalisca, which may have been the ancestor of the Cabernet family, leading to the development of the classic varietiesCabernet Sauvignon,Cabernet franc,Merlot andPetit Verdot in theMédoc wine region.[2]
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.[5] The popularpilgrimage routeel Camino de Santiago took thousands of Christian pilgrims right through the heart of the Rioja throughout theMiddle 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]
Following theReconquista, Rioja wine merchants began to look for outside markets for their wine. Looking north, some bodegas brought their wines to the trading ports ofBilbao andSantander where it became available toDutch andEnglish wine merchants.[7] This developing trade with itsBasque 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 inbota bags, branded with a seal to guarantee the authenticity of their contents.[8]
In the 1780s,DonManuel Quintano of nearbyBurgos traveled to Bordeaux to learn theirwinemaking techniques. On his return, he introduced the use ofOakaging barrels to the Rioja bodegas, which dramatically improved thelongevity of Rioja wines. This opened up their export potential, and markets soon developed in places as far-flung asCuba andMexico. 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]
TheDuke de la Victoria owned a bodega in Logroño and spent considerable time inLondon during a period of exile following thedefeat of the Carlists. It was there that he and an aide, ColonelLuciano Murrieta, discussed ways in which to modernize the Rioja wine industry, with the aim of competing for the sizable British market. Murrieta was dispatched to Bordeaux to learn the latest advances in theBordeaux wine industry, much like Quintano had been several decades before. One of the improvements Murrieta brought back was the utilization of large vats to crush andferment the grapes, in place of the outdoor stonelagos in which grapes were traditionally crushed by the feet of the vineyard workers. Murrieta also reintroduced the use of oak for aging.[9]
In the 1850s, the fungal diseasepowdery mildew began to ravage vineyards in nearbyGalicia, opening up the market up for Rioja bodegas, which had been only slightly affected. The completion of a railway system linking Logroño toBilbao,Madrid andIrun coincided with the onset of thephylloxera epidemic in Europe. The French were the first and hardest hit by the louse, which created an immediate and insatiable demand for all the wine the Rioja could produce.[9] Amidst devastation in theFrench wine industry, dozens ofnégociant 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 ofgrafting Americanrootstock 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]
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 ofWorld War I, theSpanish Civil War andWorld 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 1970vintage 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 otherSpanish wine regions like theRibera del Duero began to emerge, capturing more international attention and sales. In response, modern Rioja winemakers began experimenting with more international styles of wine, younger, more powerful and deeply colored than the traditional Rioja. The heavy use of oak was restrained with the aim of releasing wines onto the market sooner, so that they could be enjoyed earlier.[13] Sales began to improve and in 1991, Rioja was the first region to be awardedDenominación de Origen Calificada status, with which the Spanish recognised the Rioja as its premier wine region.[14]