White Rioja

Rioja. Well, for many people, that means Tempranillo, barrique, and above all, red wine. Hardly anyone knows that in the 17th century, more white grape varieties were cultivated in the region than red ones. There are several reasons why this perception has changed so fundamentally and why, today, when we think of Rioja, we think first of red wine. At the latest after the phylloxera epidemic at the end of the 19th century, when large parts of the vineyards had to be replanted, the region charted a new course. Under the influence of French négociants, the region consistently focused on barrel-aged red wines. Tempranillo became the flagship variety, aging in wood became its hallmark, and Rioja evolved into what it still stands for today.