1991 – Achieving “Calificada” Status
As time carries on, so does Rioja’s main mission of guaranteeing quality and authenticity to the highest degree.
Having been officially recognized and safeguarded since 1925, Rioja’s wines gained even more protection in 1991, when Rioja reached the status of being a Denominación de Origen Calificada, which is Spanish for Qualified Designation of Origin (QDO).
Upon getting designated as Spain’s first Qualified Designation of Origin, Rioja officially exemplified the highest quality standards for winemaking in the country. At this point in time, it was now a fact that Rioja’s wines met the highest and most rigorous quality standards in existence.
Reaching the milestone of becoming a QDO ushered in a new era of commercial expansion, structural growth, and modernization—particularly in viticulture. But achieving this prized status was no small feat. Becoming a QDO required more than just meeting rigorous quality standards and production regulations.
Additional DOCa Requirements
- Performing systematic analytical and organoleptic testing of homogeneous batches of limited volumes.
- Being a Designation of Origin for at least 10 years.
- Ensuring wineries only use grapes from vineyards registered in the Denomination.
- Dedicating wineries exclusively to the production and storage of wines from a designated region.
- Bottling all wines exclusively from inside of wineries in their respective regions.
These measures ensure that wines are of high quality and authenticity, a standard that Rioja continues to realize to the fullest.
