Winemaker Notes
Beronia: Rooted in Friendship
Beronia was founded in 1973 by a group of friends who had a mission to create great wines to complement their culinary creations. The flagship winery, one of the most sustainable in Europe, is located in La Rioja, one of the most important wine regions in Spain. The second winery, solely dedicated to the production of verdejo is located in Rueda, the home of this Spanish variety.
Beronia Rioja is located in the Rioja Alta village of Ollauri, where the River Ebro and Cantabrian mountains shape the land. Rooted in the region, the winery pays tribute to Los Berones, a celtic tribe who inhabited the region in 3rd Century BC, the origins of Rioja. Privileged to be part of two iconic Spanish wine regions, Rioja and Rueda, Beronia is committed to sustainability and finding the perfect balance between honoring local winemaking traditions while pioneering advance modern techniques to make the very best wines the land can produce.
Created by friends who loved food and wine, Beronia remains rooted in friendship, striving to bring people together around the table to enjoy good food, good wine and most importantly good company.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
Highly regarded for distinctive and age-worthy red wines, Rioja is Spain’s most celebrated wine region. Made up of three different sub-regions of varying elevation: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental. Wines are typically a blend of fruit from all three, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta, at the highest elevation, is considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier Rioja Oriental produce wines with deep color and higher alcohol, which can add great body and richness to a blend.
Fresh and fruity Rioja wines labeled, Joven, (meaning young) see minimal aging before release, but more serious Rioja wines undergo multiple years in oak. Crianza and Reserva styles are aged for one year in oak, and Gran Reserva at least two, but in practice this maturation period is often quite a bit longer—up to about fifteen years.
Tempranillo provides the backbone of Rioja red wines, adding complex notes of red and black fruit, leather, toast and tobacco, while Garnacha supplies body. In smaller percentages, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) often serve as “seasoning” with additional flavors and aromas. These same varieties are responsible for flavorful dry rosés.
White wines, typically balancing freshness with complexity, are made mostly from crisp, fresh Viura. Some whites are blends of Viura with aromatic Malvasia, and then barrel fermented and aged to make a more ample, richer style of white.