Last year 2019 the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture recognized 84 projects with 150 hectares as new wine-growing areas identified as 'Singular Vineyards' La Rioja, within the Rioja Qualified Denomination of Origin. This year 20 new more than 17 holders with 32 hectares have been added. In total they add 186 hectares of such significant areas. We will tell you more below.
With this new identification of vineyards, DOC Rioja and the ministry seek to develop a project of excellence. Everything to grant prominence to the specificity of a specific territory, that is, to terroir or "terroir". According to the appellation of origin, this is what today's wine connoisseurs are looking for.
The Rioja Regulatory Council's commitment
Fernando Salamero, president of the Regulatory Council, applauds this new step: “Rioja was a pioneer in developing a way of zoning and differentiating. This has allowed us to enrich our offer by demanding the highest quality in each of the processes to guarantee the market launch of some unique wines ". The president highlights “how Rioja is still at the beginning of this journey, which already has new applications. These will be rigorously evaluated in the coming months ”.
He emphasizes that “leadership is not made or imposed, but must be conquered. The strategic decisions adopted by Rioja in recent years to make it easier for operators to find the path that best suits their offer. They are the best tools to achieve this and the market is recognizing it ”. "Not making every effort to make this diversity profitable what Rioja has, especially in the complicated circumstances that we have to live, it is a capital error and it moves away from what the sector wants ”, he explains.
In this way, progress is being made in a process that began in 2017 and decided to add to DOCa Rioja the possibility of identifying a specific origin. These wines have the value of being certified by the Regulatory Council. In addition, qualitative requirements and geographical traceability are thus combined, which have managed to enrich the already successful portfolio of the history of La Rioja unique vineyards.
How are the wines from unique vineyards La Rioja
They were defined as wines from unique vineyards La Rioja, with a series of qualitative guarantees such as having over 35 years old. The yields do not exceed, naturally and by virtue of its naturally limited vigor, 5.000 kgs. per hectare in the case of red varieties. In the case of varieties white is 6.922 kgs. per hectare. In turn, its transformation is limited to 65 liters per 100 kgs. from grape. Its cultivation is respectful with the environment and its manual harvest.
It should also be noted that the wine is evaluated twice. The first freshly prepared and the second just before marketing. It is at this last moment when it should be considered excellent by most of the tasters who evaluate it. The back labels that appear on the bottles guarantee the mention "Singular Vineyard". In this way, they allow consumers to know that all the characteristics described are certified by the Regulatory Council.
Qualified places and other forms of differentiation
Everything indicates that appellations of origin are looking for a way to differentiate themselves in the market. We see that many are betting on these figures to segment the market and find the customer with the most value. That is, a segmentation of the Two in search of the specific market niche. The DO cava a few days ago segmenting its territory and giving maximum value to the figure of the vineyards of qualified sites.
In addition to the territory and the product as maximum value, It is also important to attend to market values that are no longer for the future. We refer to values such as ecology, sustainability, gender equality, parity, fair prices, solidarity or transparency. Also the recovery of ancestral varieties. These are, along with the quality of the product, values that also represent, in some way, the denomination of origin, in addition to the companies that represent them.
All the work carried out by the appellations of origin seeks quality and specific markets. Also the loyalty actions Later they have to captivate new consumers and that they perceive that the product is of high quality and honest. Like the one that comes out of the La Rioja unique vineyards.
