In Spain, tradition and modern winemaking meet in La Rioja. It may be for this reason that in the last year, according to Vibranti Rioja, there was a 33 percent rise in Rioja wine export volume to the U.S. Wine aficionados are an interesting blend of ‘give me what’s new’ and cultural interest in the past. Whether in 1982, Sherry giant Gonzalez Byass visioned today’s growing La Rioja awareness or it was a stroke of luck, its purchase of Bodegas Beronia influenced one of the hottest brands from the region.

Beronia, that takes its name from “berones,” a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area at the origins of La Rioja Alta in 3 B.C., was founded in 1973 by a group of Spanish businessmen. Gonzalez Byass, seeking broader product diversity, recognized the potential of Bodegas Beronia. It purchased the winery and began a long-term commitment to the purest traditions of the Rioja region. In addition to the wines labeled Rioja, Beronia produces a series of single varietal wines from Garnacha, Tempranillo, Mazuelo (Carignan) and the white variety Viura.

Winemaker and Technical Director Matias Calleja

Unique Features

Near the Ebro Valley within La Rioja, Beronia is situated between two mountain ranges (Sierra de Cantabria in the north and Sierra de Demanda in the south) that protect the vineyards. “Chalky-clay soils and Atlantic climate with Mediterranean influence,” explains winemaker and Technical Director Matias Calleja, “allows us to grow grapes and make wines that are suitable for long aging. We control 2,100 acres of vineyards with a variety of ages located within a six-mile radius of the winery. The 78-year-old estate vineyard is planted to head pruned Tempranillo. Some 100-year-old pre-phylloxera vineyards are planted in sandy soil near the Ebro River which sometimes overflows keeping phylloxera at bay.”

Rioja vineyards are fragmented with an average size of about seven acres. “This means,” Calleja continues, “that we work with many small growers, a total of about 214 during the growing season. We have been working with some growers since the winery began and advise them on all aspects of viticulture and the yield we expect them to produce. These are good faith relationships without a written contract.” Calleja takes their entire production and over the years has been able to identify the best vineyards. “If we get some fruit that is not up to our standards, we will make the wine and sell it in bulk not under our label, rather than cherry pick the vineyard. It is critical that we select the best fruit possible for the wines of Bodegas Beronia.”

As grapes arrive at the winery during the September harvest, they are selected analytically and vinified together by quality. Every truckload is weighed and a sample is collected in the presence of an official of the Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja (DOCa) for inspection. This is a guarantee for the consumer that the wine is authentic Rioja. In 2010, Bodegas Beronia processed 6,600 U.S. tons of sustainably farmed grapes with Tempranillo accounting for 85 percent and forming the base for the majority of Beronia wines.

Recent Innovations

In January 2007, for the first time since the creation of the Rioja D.O. in 1925, new grape varieties were authorized for use in Rioja wines. These include three international white grape varieties, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo, as well as three indigenous varieties, Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco and Turruntes. Three native red varieties were also approved: Maturana Tinta, Maturano and Monastel. The new grape varieties join the seven grape varieties previously allowed, four red (Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo) and three white (Viura, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía).

Calleja embodies the innovative spirit of Beronia. “We are always experimenting with small batches of wine to see whether we can improve and adapt the style, tastes and flavors of our wines.” Over 25 years as winemaker, he has developed a unique, distinctive ‘Beronia’ style which balances the qualities of excellent fruit with barrel maturation, symbolizing the traditional and modern styles that have now come to represent the La Rioja region.

Beronia ages its red wines in 28,500 barrels of American, French and mixed oak, with an average of less than four years. The role of oak in the Beronia style is very important and much has been invested into how the wines, once in barrel, react to different toasts and oak origins. Calleja has achieved a desirable balance between fruit quality and use of oak during the aging process. Oak aging experiments have led him to the use of mixed barrels, those with American oak staves and French oak heads that are used over four years. “We want the fruit to be prominent in the wine, but display the texture of oak maturation.”

Beronia’s Best

Characteristics of Rioja Alta wines, that are principally Tempranillo, include aromas and flavors of red and black fruits with notes of anise or licorice with very good cellaring potential. They are well balanced, display good acidity, have ample fruit and complement a variety of foods. Addition of Garnacha to a blend adds complexity, structure and acidity in the short term, while Mazuelo adds tannin, acidity and a note of menthol. Although Graciano is difficult to ripen, in small amounts it contributes heady lilac aromas. Beronia’s wines are drinkable from the get-go. It’s clear that Beronia does not want its wine to come across tough, hard or over extracted.

• Beronia Tempranillo 2007 DOCa Rioja, $14 is 100 percent Tempranillo. Excellent value with red cherry notes, anise and spice with balanced acid and tannins.
• Beronia Crianza 2007 DOCa Rioja, $15 is 85 percent Tempranillo, 12 percent Garnacha and three percent Mazuelo. Aged 12 months in American and French oak, it shows red berry aromas, vanilla and spice. Lengthy on the palate with silky texture.
• Beronia Coleccion 2008 DOCa Rioja, $18 is also 100 percent Tempranillo, but barrel fermented in American oak with batonnage. Cherry and licorice aromas introduce black fruit flavors with chocolate and mineral notes.
• Beronia Reserva 2005 DOCa Rioja, $20 blends 90 percent Tempranillo, four percent Graciano and six percent Mazuelo. An excellent Rioja from a superior vintage. Aged 18 months in American and French oak, this wine boasts aromas and flavors of red and black fruits augmented by toasty notes and balanced oak.
• Beronia Gran Reserva 2001 DOCa Rioja, $28 is produced only in outstanding vintages. This wine was aged two years in oak and three years in bottle before release. Spice, mint and red fruits introduce a wine with full body and integrated tannins. Pair it with grilled meats and aged cheese.
• Beronia III A.C. 2004 DOCa Rioja, $80 was aged in a combination of 80 percent new American, French and Hungarian oak for 15 months, after which selected barrels were blended to yield deep black cherry aromas and flavors with hints of spice. Huge, but balanced!