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The most famous, and oldest, Denomination of Origin in Spain is Rioja. Its vineyards are divided into three main viticultural areas: Rioja Baja, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta. Although a great deal of the wine produced in Rioja is traditionally made by the large Rioja Houses blending grapes from all three areas, most of the vineyards are owned and maintained by small, local farmers.
The Rioja Baja - Vineyards in this area lie at the southern most part of the DO starting at Logroño and heading south. Here the climate is very Mediterranean with Garnacha being the predominant grape. The vineyards in the surrounding hillsides at high elevations are responsible for the best grapes produced from this area. The soils here in the mountain vineyards are calcareous clay (chalky soils).
The Rioja Alavesa - This is the northern-most DO with alluvial clay-based soils with iron and chalk outcrops responsible for creating fruit forward wines with great complexity. The vineyard sites adjacent to the Sierra Contabria Mountains are of poor soils with a high calcareous content. These poor soils are responsible for the best wines in the Alavesa region.
The Rioja Alta - This is the most famous of the three regions with a continental climate. These higher elevation vineyards are rich in outcrops of chalk and Iron. Tempranillo here is generally thicker skinned. This particular terruño lends the grapes a natural higher acidity making them excellent prospects for aging. The grapes authorized are Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo (Cariñena) and Graciano for the reds. Malvasia, Garnacha blanca and Viura are also authorized as white grapes either for blending in reds or as white wines on their own. Experimental grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are authorized as "experimental grapes". Such grapes are not technically allowed but are being utilized nonetheless.
Aging Requirements - Crianza wines must be aged a minimum of one year on oak and one year in the bottle before being released. Reservas must be aged a minimum of one year in oak but two years in the bottle. Gran Reservas must spend two full years in oak and three years aging in the bottle prior to their release. Some of the top wineries are beginning to phase this system out in the production of their wines. Instead of using the cellar aging requirements of the DO, they are using vineyard site to designate their wines.
