HISTORY OF WINE IN LA RIOJA
Wine production in the region goes back 2000 years, when Phoenicians, Celtiberians and then Roman settled in the region and cultivated vines.
This is why Haro has been an important part of the history of wine for centuries, even before the city was officially founded in the 10th century.
However, wine in those days was totally different than what we know today, considered more a food item to be consumed daily, which was affordable and convenient to store.
The arrival of French people in Haro in the 19th century, driven by the destruction of their vineyards caused by the phylloxera disease, and encouraged by the similarities of vineyards in La Rioja to theirs in France, brought an entirely approach to winemaking, the result being much more similar to what we have today.
Thanks to the growth of the wine industry, at the end of the 19th century, a railway connection comes to Haro, allowing the transport of bottled wine to other regions, including France.
This event supported a new phase of growth with the creation of several wineries in the region.
One of the major feature of the new Rioja wineries at the time, was the use of underground storage areas, named Calados in La Rioja, a technique used in medieval times.
