A grand rendez-vous between Rioja and Bordeaux took place on March 21 in the small pleasant town of Haro in Rioja, more specifically at the well-known Barrio de la Estación, the old station area. This is a classic place in Rioja. Around the old railway station are seven producers, all within walking distance from each other: Viña Pomal, CVNE, Gómez Cruzado, La Rioja Alta S.A., Bodegas Muga, Bodegas Lopez de Heredia and Bodegas RODA.
On March 21, 500 sommeliers, restaurateurs, journalists and other influencers were invited to taste wines from these producers and a dozen Bordeaux chateaux, specially invited to celebrate the strong ties between the two wine regions.
The ties between Bordeaux and Rioja date back to the 1860s, when some Bordeaux producers fled the phylloxera and went to make wine in Rioja instead. Bordeaux wine merchants began importing Rioja when the shortage of Bordeaux wines became noticeable. Bordeaux left its mark on Rioja wines, and even Bordeaux grapes were planted.
But they were short-lived as producers realised that tempranillo, after all, thrived better. And in the 1890s, the phylloxera had found its way also to Rioja.
Read more: Barrio Estacion
