– With this new extension, the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin now has 162 “Singular Vineyards” in a total area of more than 265 hectares
– The “Singular Vineyard” qualification within Rioja is a differentiation tool incorporated in 2017 to recognise wines with a single origin
– The president of the Regulatory Board, Fernando Ezquerro, celebrates the inclusion of the new Singular Vineyards, which “highlights the origin and pioneering character of Rioja”
A new order from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) of the Government of Spain published today in the Official State Gazette (Order APA/808/2024) recognises 14 new wine-growing sites in the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin with the distinctive “Viñedo Singular”.
Following the publication of this sixth ministerial order, Rioja now has 162 ‘Viñedos Singulares’ belonging to 97 owners, covering a total area of more than 265 hectares. Seven new operators have therefore joined the initiative, demonstrating the growing interest of the sector in this project.
The Regulatory Council of the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin has been working with the Ministry since 2017 on the development of this project of excellence, a pioneering initiative in the Spanish wine scene that focuses on highlighting the uniqueness and intrinsic value of different terroirs in Rioja, as well as its rich diversity, thus complementing the classification by ageing that the DOCa implemented at the time. In this way, the Denomination began to highlight the specificity of some of its sites individually, providing operators with a valuable tool to differentiate their offer. The figure of “Singular Vineyard” integrates agronomic factors with qualitative aspects that ensure an outstanding quality of the final product.
The official approval of the first files related to this figure took place in 2019, and since then, the MAPA has carried out annual extensions, consolidating the development of this figure.
“For the sixth consecutive year, we have managed to enrich the already diverse offer of Rioja with 14 new Singular Vineyards, contributing to value the terroir, the origin,” says Fernando Ezquerro, president of the Regulatory Council of the DOCa Rioja. “This achievement not only demonstrates the dynamism and pioneering character of Rioja, but also increases its prestige and excellence,” he adds.
Qualitative requirements and guarantees of ‘Viñedo Singular’ wines
The qualification “Viñedo Singular” is directly linked to the origin. They were defined as wines from vineyards with a series of unique characteristics and qualitative guarantees, such as being more than 35 years old and that their yields do not exceed, naturally and by virtue of their naturally limited vigour, 5,000 kg per hectare in the case of red varieties and 6,922 kg per hectare in the case of white varieties. In turn, its transformation is limited to 65 liters per 100 kg of grapes, its cultivation is respectful with the environment and its harvest, manual.
It should be noted that the wine made from “Viñedos Singulares” must pass a second qualitative tasting, that is, it is evaluated twice: the first, freshly produced and the second, just before its commercialization, where it must be considered excellent by the majority of the tasters who value it.
The back labels that appear on the bottles guarantee the mention “Viñedo Singular” and allow consumers to have the certainty and guarantee that all the characteristics described are certified by the Regulatory Board.
