A short tale of intrigue in the Rioja Denominación de Origen(DO) wine circle
In recent years a break-away move by wine producers in the Basque Country has triggered unrest amongst the Rioja wine community. So, what is all the fuss about you may ask? A group of wine producers in the Rioja Denominación de Origen (DO) want to form a new DO in part of the area, and have taken action to put this in motion. Sounds simple enough – right? But no. As with all things in life – but especially things to do with wine or money – nothing is ever as straightforward as it seems.
It all started a number of years ago when some of the producers of Rioja Alavesa in the Basque Country began to question whether the interests of the region would be better served by forming their own Denominación de Origen (DO). It needs to be understood that the Rioja DO is in some respects unusual, because it covers wines produced in three different Autonomous Regions – La Rioja (which produces by far the most rioja wine by volume), Navarre, and the Basque Country/ Euskal Herria. This is a peculiarity it shares with only another two out of Spain’s seventy DOs [1]. The Alavesa wine producers had been seeking to achieve greater differentiation within the Rioja DO for some time, for example by introducing sub-denominations, but this has never been accepted by the Rioja DO Regulatory Council based in Logroño. Eventually they decided to apply for a new DO – Viñedos de Álava – promoted by the Association of Rioja Alavesa Wineries, based in Laguardia. An application for full recognition of the Viñedos de Álava DO was submitted to the European Commission in May 2022, and will take a while. Meanwhile, provisional approval for the use of the Viñedos de Álava DO (or Arabako Mahastiak in Basque) [2] for marketing within Spain only was granted by the Basque Government in October 2022. The 2022 harvest having already been completed by the time the Basque Government issued its approval, it was expected that we would need to wait for 2023 to see any wines being marketed in Spain under the new brand, Viñedos de Álava. However, that was not meant to be, and on 14 April 2023 the Supreme Court of Justice of the Basque Country [3] accepted a request from the governing body of the Rioja DO (the Regulatory Council for the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin) for the suspension of the temporary permit for the sales of wine bearing the Viñedos de Álava label.
So the question remains – what really lies behind this move for recognition of a new DO for the rioja wines produced in the Basque Country?
Some people say that this really has nothing to do with wine at all, it is about Basque independence and desire for greater control, simply a politically motivated action. They point out that the new name Viñedos de Álava is sectarian, simply an outdated idea of Basque nationalists. [4]
Others point to a desire for differentiation within the rioja wine, spearheaded by those who wish to produce regional wines capable of being recognised for their finer quality. According to the Spanish digital lifestyle magazine “The Local ES” [5], whilst Rioja is undoubtedly a globally popular high-quality wine, there are many reasons why it is never likely to be qualified as a “fine wine” in its current form. This includes the fact that so much wine is produced – 300 million litres annually. And then there is the marketing strategy. Although the Rioja wine region covers a range of geographies and climates, making for a significant variety in the wines that are produced, the only differentiation recognised by the Rioja DO regulatory body is based on the age of the wine (crianza, reserva etc.). This contrasts with the situation in France where regions such as Bordeaux will have both sub-denominations and other markers of quality such as premiers or grands crus rather than simply on age. [6]
It seems though that it is not only the Basque wine producers who are looking for this sort of change. As “Decanter” reported earlier this year [7], a group of over 200 wine producers have decided to disengage from the decision-making body of the Rioja DO and from its interprofessional committee – although they will continue to produce wine under the Rioja DO label. It is reported that the Bodegas Familiares de Rioja (BFR) took this action due to disenchantment with the way in which Rioja is being managed, using a model which they claim places too much emphasis on the volume of wine produced, and insufficient attention to the value and quality of production. These sentiments may reflect those of the Basque wine producers, with their desire to focus on quality, as reported in the Guardian [8].
So, will we ever be able to buy a bottle of “Viñedos de Álava”?
Well, that remains to be seen. According to a response to a written question issued in August 2023 by the European Commission, the Spanish authorities have requested suspension of the case in view of a national judicial procedure challenging the validity of the application. The Commission awaits a further update from the Spanish authorities [9]. We may be in for a long wait.
Meanwhile, in June 2023 the Rioja DO governing bodies announced a commitment to work towards a reform of Rioja’s governing system [10]. One might speculate that this could lead to the sort of changes that the Basque producers, and the BFR, are hoping for. Only time will tell whether the EC decision will be redundant, when finally delivered, if the Rioja DO Regulatory Council do in fact reform themselves, or whether there are other ambitions behind the push for recognition of Viñedos de Álava.
All we can say with any certainty, is that for now we will have to “make do” with wines from Rioja Alavesa – some of the best there are!
[1] https://www.vinissimus.co.uk/en/content/denominaciones-de-origen-vinos-espana/
[2] ¿Qué es Viñedos de Álava, la nueva DOC de vino de Rioja Alavesa? – https://www.gasteizhoy.com/viñedos-de-Álava/ – 19 October 2022
[3] https://www.europapress.es/economia/noticia-tsjpv-anula-autorizacion-gobierno-vasco-viñedos-Álava-comercializar-vinos-20230414135005.html
[4] “Viñedos de Álava vs Rioja, la batalla acaba de comenzar – https://www.7canibales.com/opinion/viñedos-Álava-rioja-batalla/
[5] “Why are Spain’s Riojas often not considered fine wines?” – The Local.ES – 20 September 2023 – https://www.thelocal.es/20230920/why-are-spains-riojas-often-not-considered-fine-wines?cx_testId=2&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=1&cx_experienceId=EXD4N6U8K258#cxrecs_s
[6] “Rioja leaves bad taste in the mouth for Basque winemakers” – The Guardian – 18 May 2021 – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/18/rioja-leaves-bad-taste-in-the-mouth-for-basque-winemakers
[7] “New Rioja split increases tension in region” – Decanter – 7 September 2023 – https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/new-rioja-split-increases-tension-in-region-510611/#:~:text=A%20group%20representing%20more%20than,the%20famous%20Spanish%20wine%20region.
[8] “Rioja leaves bad taste in the mouth for Basque winemakers” – The Guardian – 18 May 2021 – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/18/rioja-leaves-bad-taste-in-the-mouth-for-basque-winemakers
[9] Parliamentary question – E-002150/2023 – https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2023-002150-ASW_EN.html
[10] “New Rioja split increases tension in region” – Decanter – 7 September 2023 – https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/new-rioja-split-increases-tension-in-region-510611/#:~:text=A%20group%20representing%20more%20than,the%20famous%20Spanish%20wine%20region.