Rioja Alavesa

 

As a wine industry subzone, Rioja Alavesa is a portion of the Qualified Denomination Of Origin Rioja situated in the south of Alava. It limits in the north with the cantabric mountain range which protects it from the cantabric climate, characterized by cold and humid winds of the northeast, and in the south it limits with the Ebro river.

It covers 13,150 hectares of winery in lots of small extension, mostly arranged in slopes facing south (“cara soles“).

95% of the vines is placed in chalky and loamy soils, and the resting 5% are aluvial soils in slots near the Ebro river.

Chalky and loamy soils, poor, has a yield of around 6 thousand kg of grapes/Ha., which makes possible a wine growing of great quality.

The confluence of two opposite climates like the atlantic and the mediterranean benefits this zone, because they provide smooth temperatures and light rains each year around 400 l/m2., which garantees enough water.