Climate change, less unfavorable for Rioja than for other appellations

Climate change has become a problem for many areas, including winegrowing. Aware of this, the organizers of the Wineland forum, held this Thursday at the Marketing Club, have addressed this issue, as well as those of sustainability or the reduction of alcohol content in wines.

Fernando Martínez de Toda, professor of viticulture at the University of La Rioja, explained at this meeting that the effects of climate change are being less harmful for Rioja than for other wine-growing regions. “Here it is more positive than negative” because this is a “relatively cold” area, he indicated. In fact, “before, the maturity that is now being achieved was not achieved.”

In any case, it will be necessary to plant “more resistant varieties,” says Rubén Jiménez, viticulture director of the Luis Cañas and Amaren wineries. Among those varieties he cites “benedicto”, one of the few reds “that has tempers”, with “a very typical characteristic floral aroma”.