A Free Wine Encyclopedia!The history and legacy of the Rioja district in Spain is rich in tales and stories. I would suggest, if your are interested, a book by Jan Read “Wines of the Rioja”. I was captivated by the accounts of not only Rioja, but of the capital of Rioja, Logrofio. The Rioja district of Spain is… read more »
In 1874 the Navajas family founded the Bodegas Montecillo winery in the Alavesa district near the Rio Oja (“Oja River”), namesake of what has become Spain’s most acclaimed wine producing region. Montecillo was one of the pioneering wineries which adapted French (Bordeaux) wine-making techniques to Spanish grapes last century and in so doing created a… read more »
During the 1880’s a vine plague, the root burrowing phylloxera vastratrix, spawned a mass exodus of several hundred French families from Bordeaux due south 150 miles to Spain’s uninfected Ebro Valley. An unprecedented surge in Spanish wine production ensued. The Rioja vine growing region got its name from a small tributary called Rio Oja of… read more »
Wine with Food: Rioja By Paul Kalemkiarian Sr. | I am writing this on the eve of departing for Spain. I was motivated to the topic by my expectations of the culinary surprises I am looking for, and maybe some discoveries of wines. Spain is best known for its sherry wine. They are in a… read more »
VIÑA MONTY. 1975 – BODEGAS MONTECILLO by Paul Kalemkiarian Sr | February 1984 There were vineyards in Rioja when the Romans colonized this area of Spain. It was one of the first regions to be recaptured during the Reconquest, and it supplied wine in large quantity to the thirsty Conquistadors. By 1770 a ” Royal Society… read more »