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History
Vineyards have existed in Rioja since Roman times, but it was not until around 950 AD, when the Camino de Santiago, or Pilgrim's Way, gained prominence, that the Rioja region and its vineyards were expanded upon and further developed. The Camino de Santiago was a route for religious pilgrims traveling from France to the tomb and church of St. James the Greater in Galicia, an historic area in northwestern Spain. Considered one of Europe's most spiritual pilgrimage routes, a good part of the Camino de Santiago traverses the entire length of Rioja, with the city of Logroño serving as a major crossroads.
In the Middle Ages, winemaking was closely tied to monasteries and monastic life. In the 13th century, Gonzalo de Berceo, the first poet to write in Spanish, mentions wine in the margin of a religious text. Composed from his retreat in San Millán de la Cogolla, the verse is roughly translated as follows:
"I want to write a prose in the common tongue,
The people use to speak with their neighbors,
As I am not learned enough to write in different Latin,
It will still merit, I trust, a glass of good wine."
Through time, wine has played a primary role in the history of the Rioja region. An example of this is an anecdote from 1635, when the Mayor of Logroño banned carriages from passing along the roads next to cellars "for fear that the vibration from these vehicles might affect the juice and the aging of our precious wines." |
