Wine had been made around the upper Ebro for centuries before modern Rioja emerged. Monasteries, towns and landowners maintained vineyards, and Logroño regulated aspects of production as early as the Middle Ages. A decisive change came from France during the nineteenth century.
Bordeaux vineyards suffered successive outbreaks of powdery mildew, downy mildew and, most destructively, phylloxera, the vine pest that attacks roots. French merchants crossed the Pyrenees looking for wine. Winemakers and technicians also brought Bordeaux practices, including careful blending and ageing in small oak barrels.
The railway strengthened the connection. The line reached the region in the 1860s, while Haro’s station and warehouse district became a practical centre for shipping. Historic bodegas clustered there because wine could move towards Bilbao and foreign markets efficiently.
Rioja’s own vineyards were eventually struck by phylloxera in the late 1890s. Replanting on resistant American rootstock changed the landscape again. The French influence therefore came through trade, technical exchange and a shared agricultural disaster, rather than a single group arriving on one date.
Crianza, reserva and place
Traditional Rioja classification emphasizes ageing. Crianza, reserva and gran reserva indicate minimum periods in barrel and bottle, with different rules for red and white wine. These terms tell you about ageing; they do not rank vineyards or guarantee that the oldest category will suit your meal.
Modern labels may also emphasize a municipality or single vineyard. Tempranillo leads most reds, commonly joined by Garnacha, Graciano or Mazuelo. White Rioja can use Viura and other permitted grapes, made either fresh or barrel-aged.
In a bar, ask for a young red with tapas if you want fruit and freshness. Choose crianza with lamb chops, mushrooms or cured meat. Reserva suits slower-cooked dishes when its oak and bottle age have softened. Serving a red too warm can make alcohol dominate; cool cellar temperature is preferable to a hot dining room.
Rioja’s modern architecture
Rioja Alavesa has turned winery visits into an architectural journey. At Marqués de Riscal in Elciego, the historic cellars founded in 1858 stand beside Frank Gehry’s rippling titanium hotel. A guided visit connects nineteenth-century barrel ageing with one of Spain’s most recognizable contemporary buildings.
Outside Laguardia, Ysios follows the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria in a long wave of cedar and aluminum designed by Santiago Calatrava. At Baigorri in Samaniego, only a glass pavilion is obvious from the road; production descends through seven underground levels and uses gravity to move grapes and wine. Visits can include a tasting, and Baigorri also offers a lunch experience overlooking the barrel room and vineyards.
These buildings are worth visiting even before the first glass. Their guides explain why tanks, barrel halls, temperature and gravity shaped the architecture, while the views reveal how the Sierra protects the vineyards from northern weather.
Beneath the streets of Laguardia
The older counterpart lies inside the walled hill town of Laguardia. A network of underground cellars, or calados, runs beneath its houses and streets. Casa Primicia occupies one of the town’s oldest civil buildings, where the church once collected its first fruits and tithes. A visit enters the stone cellar and explains wine production before stainless steel, temperature control and architectural showpieces.
Winery tours should be reserved in advance: production areas are working spaces, group sizes are limited and English visits run at particular times. A private driver makes it possible to combine a modern estate outside town with lunch and an old cellar in Laguardia without worrying about tasting and driving. Ultreya can arrange the route and reservations as an extension to the French Way.
Our French Way from Pamplona to Logroño finishes among Rioja vineyards. We can add a night in Logroño, a private transfer through Rioja Alavesa and confirmed winery visits when wine and architecture deserve their own day.
