Spanish and Argentinean Rioja Wines

Both Spain and Argentina are famous for producing high quality red wines. Interestingly the famous wine regions of both countries are called La Rioja!

The wines produced in both Spain and Argentina are also both known as Riojas, which adds to the confusion! In recent years the Spaniards have begun to question whether the Argentineans should be able to continue using the name Rioja to label their wine. They went so far as to even begin court action!

Essentially the Spanish wine producers were worried because of the rising popularity of Argentinean wine. It is no longer just sold in the USA but is also beginning to enter the European markets.

The Spaniards felt that they had been producing the wines for longer and thus the name was rightfully theirs. Local wines from the region were recognised by the King of Navarre and Aragon as early as 1102. In Argentina however the name Todos los Santos de la Nueva Rioja  was only used initially because the founder of the city wanted to commemorate the region in which his was born. What´s more is that the city  was only given this name in 1591.

Despite all this, the Argentine courts decided that Spain´s concerns were unfounded as in the international markets the Argentineans use the name La Rioja Argentina. The Argentineans were fairly unsympathetic to the Spanish cause arguing that it was the Spaniards who had initially given them the name La Rioja following the conquest!

All of this concern aside though, there is no doubt that both Spanish and Argentinean wines are enjoying international success!

If you fancy learning more about Spanish wine and improving your Spanish at the same time why not take a course which allows you to combine the two?