The battle continues after a few really moved weeks in the DO Rioja. The cause is the intention of the GNP de subdivide the DO to give more independence to the Rioja Alavesa. It is true that the Basque Nationalist Party has parked this bill with the promise of Department of agriculture to negotiate. Now the problem resurfaces by another attempt at separation.
In this case it all starts with the request for your own designation of origin for the wines of La Rioja Alavesa. The procedure, such as We tell you in Gastronomic Information,It is already well advanced. Well, recently the wine sector has filed a lawsuit against the Basque Government to try to stop this European procedure. This procedure has been promoted by the Rioja Alavesa Winery Association (OPEN) 'Arabako Mahastiak-Viñedos de Álava'and collides head-on with the interests of the DOCa Rioja.
The Rioja-Viñedos de Álava battle
As the DOCa Rioja The association promoted by Arabako Mahastiak-Viñedos de Álava wants to protect the same wine for another denomination of origin. In this way, it "appropriates" the prestige and work that DOCa Rioja has carried out according to this DO.
La request of the new DO it would coincide with the DOCa Rioja, in addition the same varieties and forms of elaboration are used. For all this it seems that it does not make sense since it would be the same came under a different name. It would simply be a territorial differentiation.
Currently the processing of this new Basque DO is still under study at the Ministry of Agriculture. Everything indicates that it has become a political problem for the central government and Basque government. According to some sources, they intend to address everything at the negotiating table that was agreed last week. The filing of the current lawsuit will force the negociación y resolution for a topic that shouldn't be delayed.
