
The first
Appellation of origin
Rioja wines are protected by the oldest Denomination of Origin in Spain. When modern Rioja was born at the end of the 19th century and the name of a product linked to its origin was given its own identity, the concern of Rioja winemakers and processors arose to protect such identity from “usurpers and falsifiers”, a concern that culminated with the official recognition on June 6, 1925 of the Rioja Denomination of Origin.
Since 1991, Rioja wines have been protected by the first Qualified D.O. in Spain. Its Regulation establishes the demarcation of the production area, the grape varieties that can be grown, the maximum yields allowed, the production and aging techniques, etc. The Regulatory Council is the public entity in charge of promoting and controlling quality. of protected wines, promote its image and defend the interests of the sector
Today Rioja is one of the Denominations of Origin in the world that offers the greatest guarantees regarding the quality and authenticity of its wines, and one of the few that requires bottling at origin for all its production.