1925 – The Birth of Spain’s First Designation of Origin
On June 6, 1925, a Royal Decree officially recognized Rioja as the first region in Spain to become a designation of origin (DO), marking a historic milestone in Spanish winemaking.
When modern Rioja emerged in the late 19th century, establishing its own identity as a product linked to its place of origin, local winemakers became increasingly concerned with ensuring the highest standards of quality while protecting their wines from counterfeiters and imitators.
This concern led to the official recognition of the Rioja Designation of Origin in June of 1925. It was then authorized that the word “RIOJA” could appear on wine labels as a collective brand, accompanied by a special seal. The legal foundation for this measure was based on the Industrial Property Law of 1902, which in its Title IX addressed “indications of origin.”
The creation of the Rioja DO gave early 20th-century Riojan wine producers the protection they sought. The Royal Decree authorized Rioja to establish a collective brand seal for its bottles, granting the ability to impose penalties for the illicit use of the Rioja name. It also recognized the need to define the geographical area whose wines could bear the Rioja designation.
