Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Spain Report: Evolution and discovery

Published: 21 October, 2024

Andrew Catchpole speaks to champions of Rioja about the opportunities and challenges presented by such a diverse and dynamic region.

Majestic enhances own-label range with La Rioja Alta and Kanonkop

Published: 02 May, 2024

Majestic has revamped its Definition wines, now known as the Definition by Majestic range, with the additions of La Rioja Alta, Kanonkop and La Commanderie de Peyrassol.

La Rioja Alta reaches new heights

Published: 15 February, 2024

La Rioja Alta, a leading Rioja wine producer, is to plant new vineyards at high altitude in the mountains of the Rioja Alavesa sub-region, company chairman Guillermo de Aranzabal has revealed.

Spain Report: Rioja Q&A

Published: 08 November, 2023

James Bayley speaks to a handful of key producers driving Rioja in export markets and what initiatives they have to take this forward…

Hallgarten Wines named UK on-trade distributor for Grupo La Rioja Alta

Published: 17 January, 2023

Specialist wine importer, Hallgarten & Novum Wines, has been appointed as the new UK on-trade distributor for iconic Spanish producer Grupo La Rioja Alta.

Galicia: Spain's Atlantic challenger

Published: 04 November, 2022

Spain’s north-west corner challenges the cliché of full-bodied, fully ripe wines associated with the country. Galicia is the gateway to Atlantic storms and Rías Baixas, its largest DO, a succession of estuaries that allow the ocean to penetrate inland and one of the world’s wettest wine regions with an average rainfall of 1,400–1,600mm. Its lush vines trained mainly in pergolas yield small, thick-skinned Albariño berries that are behind some of Spain’s best whites.

Tim Atkin MW: Singling out Rioja's merits

Published: 02 November, 2022

Modern and traditional are surprisingly slippery terms in Rioja and should be handled with caution. Techniques, ideas and debates that are considered contemporary turn out to have strong historical precedents. Reading Ludger Mees’ new book The History of Rioja Wine (Routledge), I was struck by how often the present echoes the past. As early as 1771 – long before Rioja became a famous wine region – people were grumbling about excessive yields and low prices, the very subjects that still exercise commentators, growers and producers today.

Armit releases ‘crown jewel’ Rioja

Published: 03 April, 2019

Armit Wines has announced the release of the third Gran Reserva from La Rioja Alta SA - Viña Arana Gran Reserva 2012, making La Rioja Alta one of only a few wineries in the region to have three Gran Reserva wines on the market.