Who doesn’t fall in love with Rioja Alavesa when they visit it for the first time? It happens to us, we do not stop admiring it.

Our heritage, our origins, its capricious morphology, its flora and fauna… The land that gives us so much and thanks to which we make the wines that give us so much joy. It may seem like ‘mother’s love’, and it sure is, but not only.

We are not the only ones who value it, since in 2014, ‘The Cultural Landscape of Wine and The Rioja Alavesa Vineyard’ (Álava), was officially declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, elevated to the category of ‘Community monumental, the Landscape of wine and vineyards of Rioja Alavesa (Álava)’. A candidacy that has also been on UNESCO’s Tentative List since 2013 to be classified as a World Heritage Site.

But, what exactly does the declaration of Asset of Cultural Interest protect and value?

  • The ancient rock presses, for their ethnographic value.

These are cavities that were carved directly into the rock in the middle of the vineyard and that were used to press the grapes to obtain the must, which was collected in a nearby stone tank in a circular shape.

  • The chozos and/or guardaviñas.

Examples of the vernacular tradition of the area, some more than a century old, and which were built with traditional architecture, such as stone masonry. They served to protect farmers and ranchers during long days of work in the field.

  • The caves

Those prior to 1950, both excavated and not, in urban centers or outside of them.

  • The wineries neighborhoods

It refers to those sets of warehouses, both built on the surface, underground, or mixed, located both in urban centers and outside them. A clear example is the Matarredo bodega neighborhood, located in our town, Samaniego.

  • Intangible Heritage

According to the BOE, “its protection will consist fundamentally of the correct documentation of the knowledge and traditional production techniques, specific traditional vocabulary, songs, tales, legends and sayings, religious manifestations and devotions linked to the culture of wine and traditional social uses related to the culture of wine and vineyards”.

An example of Intangible Heritage declared an Asset of Cultural Interest is the Dance of the Shepherds of Labastida, an ancestral tradition, with El Katximorro as the protagonist, a mythical character from the folklore of Rioja Alavesa.

If you need more reasons to visit Rioja Alavesa, come one day to admire this vast and rich landscape from the Balcón de la Rioja. Breathe fresh air in the Sierra de Toloño. Take a relaxing walk along the banks of the Ebro. Get inspired by the aromas that can be seen in the vineyard.

But, if what attracts you is the historical heritage, in Rioja Alavesa you have it easy because our towns are beautiful. You can check it out in Elciego, Elvillar, Labastida, Laguardia, Lanciego, Leza, Villabuena de Álava, or, of course, Samaniego, where you will be welcome at Bodegas Ostatu.