Navarra (wine region)
Navarra is a Spanish wine-growing region in the Navarre region . The cultivation area is 15,900 hectares . The area has had DO (Denominación de Origen) status since 1975 .
Around 1900 the cultivation area extended to over 50,000 ha. Then phylloxera came and destroyed a large part of the area. A turnaround came very late. While the vineyards in Ribera del Duero experienced a huge boom from 1985 onwards, Navarra only seems to have overcome the downward trend in recent years. Where the pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela once rested after crossing the Pyrenees , vines are now growing again. The wines of the best bodegas can compete with top wines from the Rioja ; at prices that are often only half as high.
The amount of precipitation is 480 to 660 mm / year, the average sunshine duration is 2,200–2,500 hours / year. To the south of Pamplona there are five subdistricts that have the best conditions in terms of climate and soil:
- Baja Montaña,
- Ribera Baja,
- Ribera Alta,
- Tierra Estella,
- Valdizarbe.
Grape varieties
The robust red Garnacha variety once covered 85% of the vineyards. By switching from the traditional production of simple rosado wines to modern red wine cultivation, the area has continuously decreased to 45% today. It is particularly strong in the hot south of the region. The share of rosé wines, which are usually very enjoyable to drink for little money, amounts to around 20% of the total wine production in Navarre. Inspired by the success of the Priorat wines , the interest of old Grenache stocks has grown again. The first single-variety wines show the great potential of this grape variety.
The red grape variety Tempranillo was once found on just 5% of the vineyard area. Due to the quality offensive, their share has risen to over 27%; it is the preferred variety for the production of high quality plants.
The red varieties Cabernet Sauvignon (approx. 9%) and Merlot (approx. 6%) do not make good single-variety red wines , but are interesting for a blend with Tempranillo.
The white Viura occupies only 5% of the vineyard area and the interest is increasingly shifting to the Chardonnay (approx. 2%). The range of grape varieties is complemented by the Graciano , Garnacha blanca , Malvasia and Moscatel varieties .
literature
- John Radford: The New Spain. A complete guide to contemporary Spanish Wine. Mitchell Beazley, London 1998, ISBN 1-85732-254-1 .
- Jan Read: Spain's Wines 2005/06. 7th, revised, updated edition. Hallwag im Gräfe und Unzer Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7742-6962-9 .
- Jeremy Watson: The new & classical Wines of Spain. Montagud Editores, Barcelona 2002, ISBN 84-7212-087-2 .