Introduction

For many years LA RIOJA ALTA, S.A., has endeavoured to help its friends and clients extend their knowledge of all factors which affect the preparation and ageing of wines.

With this idea in mind, we began to publish installments of "VENDIMIA" in 1979, on which this book, "ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF RIOJA ALTA", is based, and which we now present.Manuel Ruiz Hernández has revised and extended his original texts and Sigfrido Koch has given a touch of poetry and tenderness to a brilliant dissertation on the science of wine-making.

"Tannins", "polyphenols", "malolactic", "aftertaste" are words which are used commonly today among lovers of good wine; everyone would like to know the real significance and importance of these words.

Wine is not manufactured, it is aged. It is a product which is born, grows and moves just like all living beings. Its ability to evolve is what makes it enormously attractive and different from practically all other gastronomic and alcohol-based products. All these circumstances, together with the appreciation of enthusiasts for the care and love which goes into each bottle of wine, means that it is not enough for wine-tasters just to taste a good "Reserva", but also to be familiar with all the aspects which, in different ways and at different times, affect the birth and evolution of good Rioja wine.

Today, enthusiasts of Rioja not only need to drink good Rioja wine, but "experience" it at the same time, know how it has evolved and what processes have influenced its development. How it has been treated and prepared.

Our intention has not been just to create a technical book to commemorate our centenary, but also, and especially, to disseminate the art and technology of Rioja so that the lovers of the wines can gain a basic knowledge, which afterwards will be augmented by the individual sensibility of a person who has a glass of good wine before him.

We hope that, by means of this study, which is full of science and poetry, we have contributed a little more to the knowledge of wine-making.

Carta del presidente

La Rioja Alta, S.A., the president Guillermo de Aranzabal Alberdi, Haro 1990

Open letter to whoever occupies the Presidency on the commemoration of the Second Centenary

Dear Friend,

I am writing this letter to you, at the end of our first hundred years, despite the fact that by the time it reaches you, another hundred years will have elapsed.

I would like to tell you about some of the things we have done during this long period of time and conclude by conveying a message which I should like to send you as we cross the threshold of this first century.

During the first fifty or sixty years of our existence we established and developed a long term policy of outstanding quality. This was reflected in an order for 3,500 Bordeaux casks made shortly after the company was founded.

During the last four decades, having overcome the difficulties endured in the war years, we have continued to develop, in accordance with our motto of "quality first". We have also extended our activities to vinegrowing, having initiated production in several important vineyards.

We have seen this development, this constant and unique line of action, as a return to our original principles, faithful to a tradition which has been handed down to us.

In an age when, in order to praise the wines of Rioja, it was fashionable to use terms such as "light", "young", "fruity", we continued, against the general trend, rediscovering our origins by ageing wines according to tradition and, therefore, the initial methods.

In this way we have developed throughout our one hundred years of existence, driven by an obsession for improving the quality of our wines.

Today, there is a group of bodegas in the Rioja which, like us, are involved in a constant search for excellence and a struggle to make full use of the potential quality which our grapes contain. It is necessary for many more to become enthusiastic about this idea. Only then will La Rioja have found the way to take its place among the foremost wine-producing areas of the world.

By the time this letter reaches you, many things will have happened. Currently we are all awaiting the miracles of 1992 and the Single European Market. This will seem a triviality to you, firmly established, as you may be, in the "United States of Europe".

Let's not speak of technology. Sometimes I do not know if I can believe or even dream that you will make use of artificial sight, giving orders to robots, in operations such as racking, in which it is so important to achieve good results. Even in the grape harvest, although I do not quite see how you will be able to transmit to the robots the pride and care these tasks require.

I have set aside this copy of the book which we have published to commemorate this date and with great pleasure dedicate it to the many friends we are fortunate enough to have.

I sincerely hope that on the celebration of the second centenary, you will continue to work with the same enthusiasm, interest and commitment to quality that has always guided us and which continues to provide us with a source of motivation. This is the message I mentioned at the beginning of this letter.

My best wishes,

Guillermo de Aranzabal Alberdi

Manuel Ruiz Hernández

Born in Madrid on October 27th 1934, he followed a course of secondary education in Zamora. His first contact with wine-making was through his family.

He read Agricultural Engineering in Madrid from 1954 to 1957, obtaining the second-best marks of his years.

The following year he passed the official State examinations.

During 1959 and 1960 Cristóbal Mestre directed his scholarships studies in wine-making at the Enological Laboratory of Villafranca del Penedés.

In 1960 his first and one official posting was in Haro, in the Viticultural and Enological Laboratory.

Since then he was written six hundred articles of a scientific and technical nature as well as more than a thousand articles on the quality of wine for newspapers and magazines.

At the same time, he continued to gain recognition for his knowledge and dedication. In 1962, he received the Juan de la Cierva Prize for Technical Research, for his studies on the production of hydrogen sulphide in wines.

One year later, he obtaines an honourable mention from the General Board of the Official Association of Agricultural Engineers for the quality of his work on the assimilation of sulphur through vines leaves.

In 1978 he received the Civil Order of Merit for Agriculture.

During recent times, he has received, among others, the following prizes: The Gold Medal of La Rioja(1987), Gold Medal of the National Association of Enologists(1986), the Prize for Rural Promotion(1988), the Prize of the Rioja Centre in Madrid(1989), Riojano of the year(1987 y 1999), Corresponding Member of the Wine Academy of Switzerland(1982),Cultural Prize for Well-known Personalities of La Rioja(1990), «Gaucelmo» Prize for the Appellation d'Origine of Bierzo(1991)... in addition to his participation in several congresses, competitions, etc.

His career has been characterised by his serious critical and professional attitude towards the quality parameters of Rioja wine. Also with an unquestionable didactic spirit regarding the dissemination of knowledge of wine-making, not only among producers, but also enthusiasts in general.

Among others studies, the following can be mentioned:

• Studies in the wine of La Rioja.
• Craft processing of Rioja wines
• Wine processing manual
• Vinification of red wine
• Processing and ageing of red wine
• Knoeledge of wines trough tasting

Sigfrido Koch

This artist, coming from a long line of photographers of German origin, based in San Sebastián, defines photography as the "painting of this century".

He studied for two years at the prestigious schools of photography of Morsell(Belgium) and Leverkusen(Germany).

Previously, he had studied drawing and painting for two years with the master painter, Vicente Cobreros and later travelled to Barcelona to continue working as a disciple of the great international portrait artist, Bullet.

He has worked in several foreing countries, mainly in West Germany, and has held exhibitions of his work in:

WIESBADEN. UNIVERSITY OF POITIERS. CULTURAL CENTER OF THE TOIT DU MONDE EN NIORT. PARIS. UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA. MUSEUM OF SAN TELMO IN SAN SEBASTIAN. CASA DEL CORDON IN VITORIA. GALERIA WINSOR IN BILBAO. CIUDADELA DE PAMPLONA. etc...

He worked for five years in Madrid for the RASGO-GREY publicity agency as a photographer and in 1980 obtained first prize in the international publicity spot exhibition in Montevideo.

He is involved in several different types of photographic expression. He has made audiovisuals, films, video and given photography courses on Spanish Television. He has also judged several international competitions, in photography poster-design and painting.

He has published the folowing books :

• Museum of San Telmo. 1976
• Euskalerria. 1976
• Itxaskaria. 1979
• Mysteries of Vizcaya. 1981
• Gure Sargardoa.1984
• Gaviota. 1988
• San Sebastián. 1989