Bodegas Moraza

“My work is all about trying, playing and enjoying. It’s exciting. Wine is something you make from your own decisions — it’s so personal. Especially in my small winery, the wines are a clear indicator as to what I like. In life, your tastes change, so it will be so interesting to see the evolution of those wines in my future life. I believe every generation must do their bit to improve what you have.”  - Janire Moraza

Moraza is not like any other Rioja you have tried before, a real stand out from its usual oaky, high tannic reds. We are in the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra in Rioja Alta, west of Pamplona and near the base of the Cantabrian mountains. Here, Bodegas Moraza has been farming for six generations. During the cooperative boom in the 1970s, the Moraza family remained determined to keep making their own wines, as opposed to selling fruit to the coops. Janire, who now manages the Estate, took over from her father and uncle to then convert their holdings over to organic practices. With the goal of allowing her wine to just best express itself and showcasing the varieties of Rioja with their unique terroirs, Janire doesn’t adhere to the Rioja ageing system. She also replaced oak with concrete to make simple, fresh and oak-less wines. Mineral driven clay soils, fermentation and full élevage in large concrete tanks, showing nothing but fruit tannin, brightness and clarity. You’re looking at the new face of Rioja.