In Northern Spain there is a long standing tradition of gastronomic societies, known locally as txokos, where friends meet to cook and share their passion for fine food and drink. In the 1970s one such group of friends formed a txoko in the small town of Ollauri in Rioja Alta. Unsatisfied with the wine on offer at the time, they decided to start their own winery to make wines worthy of partnering their culinary achievements. The result was multi award-winning Rioja winery, Bodegas Beronia.

As soon as the grapes arrived at the winery they underwent cold pre-fermentation maceration followed by alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature below 26Cº, with regular pumping over. Later, the wine was aged in mixed barrels - American oak staves and French oak ends for 9 months, completing its ageing with 2 months in bottle before being released to the market.

Contains Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites.

Bodegas Beronia is quintessentially Rioja. Its wines are defined by the region and the soils in which the vines are grown, and its name linked to the history of the land where the winery is found. In the 3rd Century BC the area known as Rioja today was inhabited by a celtic tribe called the 'Berones'. They inhabited the towns of Tricio, Varea and Leiva, marking the limits of the Berones region, today La Rioja. The founding ethos of Beronia is strongly allied to the origins of La Rioja.

Grape variety: 95% Tempranillo, 4% Graciano, 1% Tempranillo.

Current vintage: 2018.

Our winery is proudly located in the Rioja Alta sub-region, home to the highest number of century-old wineries in Europe. Tucked in the foothills of the Cantabrian mountains and close to the river Ebro, nature's influence helps to shape the exquisite character of our fruit. Warm Spanish days and soft Mediterranean breezes are followed by dramatically cooler nights. This allows our grapes to ripen slowly and evenly over time, giving them the complexity needed to produce our elegantly complex wines. The structure and variety of these ancient soils have produced unique wines for thousands of years.

Tasting notes: After five years of gentle ageing in mixed oak barrels and bottle, silken tannins, ripe cherry and plump black fruit flavours blend with cacao and cedar notes, finishing with layers of smooth spice.

Alcohol by volume: 14% ABV. Units: 10.5.

Producer: Bodegas Beronia. Winemaker: Alejandro López.

Vinification details: After the best grapes were carefully selected from the Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo vineyards, they were cold macerated for several days prior to fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation took place next, at between 26 and 28ºC, with periodic pumping over. The must was allowed to macerate again post fermentation. Lastly, Beronia Gran Reserva spends 28 months in French oak barrels, completing its ageing with a further 36 months in bottle prior to release.