Bodegas Vina Ijalba 45 Items

The estate was founded in 1975 by D. Dionisio Ruiz Ijalba, who planted the first vineyards close to Logroño, in the Rioja Alta. The actual Bodega was constructed north of Logroño in 1991. Viña Ijalba owns 70 Hectares (175 acres) of vineyards which are in a number of parcels surrounding Logroño, in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, and Valle del Najerilla. These vineyards supply 100 % of the production of the bodega. The grapes planted have been matched to the soil type and microclimate of each vineyard site.

Vineyards are planted on the sites of ancient quarries, which have poor rocky soils. Thus, the vines have to grow very deep to find water and nourishment. The pruning is the traditional "vaso" system , with a high density of vines (cepas) per hectare (3400 / hectare) . This, along with the lack of water, results in extremely low yields of grapes per hectare (less than 4.500 Kgs.).

The viticulture is essentially organic, since no herbicide or chemical fertilizer is used. At Viña Ijalba, the team's philosophy is to use the best of the old traditional Rioja grape varieties such as the Tempranillo, Mazuelo, and Garnacha. There are also plantings of rare, lost varieties such as Graciano and Rivadavia . Graciano produces extremely high quality wines. Viña Ijalba was first to bottle it as a pure varietal in 1995. It is very important as a component of the winery's crianza and reserva wines. For Tempranillo, Vina Ijalba has returned to traditional methods such as foot treading for maximum extraction of soft tannins and fruit intensity.