Remirez de Ganuza, an oenological paradise in La Rioja
The vineyards consist of more than eighty hectares of tempranillo, graciano, viura, and malvasía. They are spread across six locations in the Sierra Cantabria: Samaniego, Leza, Elciego, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Laguardia, and Ábalos, in Rioja Alavesa. For their selection, factors such as habitat, microclimate, orientation of the plots, low productivity of the vines, and vine age have been taken into account, with the average age of the vines being fifty years. This large land area allows them to be self-sufficient in high-quality grapes.

Technical Data

Winery: Own Vineyards, at Bodegas Fernando Remírez de Ganuza, Samaniego (Rioja Alavesa).
D.O.Ca. La RiojaVintage: 2022
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Variety: 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Viura & Malvasía skins
Tasting notes: high layer violet cherry color.
On the nose: intense and fine with floral notes, lilacs, violet candy, wild berries aromas, strawberry cream, and blackberry.
On the palate: sweet and fleshy. Fruity, sensations of blackberries, currants, blue flowers, dairy, and hints of licorice.
Serving temperature: 16-18ºC
Elaboration: Manual harvest in 12 kg boxes of grapes from vineyards with an average age of 60 years. Controlled temperature prior to fermentation in refrigeration chambers specially designed for this purpose for a period of 24 hours (4-6 degrees). Grape selection on the table and separation of shoulders and tips. This wine is made from the tips of the clusters selected for Remírez de Ganuza by the traditional method of carbonic maceration.
Pairing: at Made in Spain Gourmet, we recommend it as an excellent choice for all types of appetizers and snacks, including 100% acorn-fed Iberian dishes, 100% acorn-fed cold cuts, and boards of cured and semi-cured cheeses.
A traditional winery with avant-garde production
You will find Remirez de Ganuza in the center of Samaniego, a beautiful medieval village at the foot of the Sierra de Toloño. Of medieval origin, it retains today its appearance of a fortified village visible in many of its buildings and especially in the 16th-century church of Ntra. Sra. de la Asunción, built next to one of the four towers that defended the village.
The Remirez de Ganuza winery, as mentioned before, is located in the center of Samaniego, Álava. It is made up of a block of buildings, old townhouses, composed of modern reinforced concrete structures covered with ancient masonry, thus integrating into the traditional local architecture.
Around a large central courtyard crossed by a natural water channel, the different buildings that make up the winery are dedicated to the different phases of wine production, such as the barrel area, the bottle racks, the cold chambers, or the selection area.
The traditional architecture of the winery, with its interior roof formed by centuries-old oak beams, contrasts with one of the most avant-garde and innovative winemaking methods of the moment.
La Rioja Alavesa: the elite of Rioja winesLa Rioja Alavesa is classified as a subzone in the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin. It has 13,500 hectares of vineyards and several hundred wineries, resulting in an annual average of around 40 million liters of wine.
The area produces especially red wines with specific general characteristics, such as a bright and lively color, a fine aroma, a fruity flavor, and a pleasant palate. These characteristics are due to the clay-limestone soils in the area, which are excellent for vines to absorb the necessary moisture. The quality is also contributed by the climate and the location of the vineyards, behind the Sierra de Toloño, which protects the vines from the cold winds from the north and allows the vines to better take advantage of the heat.
Red wines are the most representative wines of the region