La Rioja is the home of the elite red wines "Reserva" and "Gran Reserva".
La Rioja (DO) lies on the Ebro River south of Navarra, and has a growing area of 50.732 ha in the provinces La Rioja, Navarra, and Alava. Their wines, together with the Sherry, are the most famous Spanish wines. There are ideal conditions in La Rioja to cultivate the vines. There are soft winds that blow from the mountains that lie in the north. In the summer, the sun warms the region, without overheating it, and there is plent y of rain to avoid parching. The climate in the south of La Rioja is slightly drier.
The "Reserva" and the "Gran Reserva" are without a doubt the most suberb wines of La Rioja. The "Reserva" wines must be stored between 24 and 30 months in oak barrels, and the "Gran Reserva" must be stored for 24 months in barrels and then in bottles for 36 months. The Gran Reserva is the pride of the vintners and belong to the region's luxury wines. The "Crianza" wines (early wines), are young wines from the last harvest, are also famous in this region.
The most important vines in La Rioja (DO) are the red Tempranillo, Garnacha and the white Viura, Garnacha Blanca, and Malvasía.
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