The year 2024 will be a truly special moment for one of our most iconic wines as we celebrate the first 50 years of Viña Arana. This wine has been a reference point since its debut in the market in 1969, replacing the renowned 'Sexto Año' that we had been producing for decades.
Named in honor of the then Vice President D. José María de Arana y Aizpurua, Viña Arana became one of the main representatives of the distinctive style of the historic productions from the Haro region from its inception. The Bordeaux winemakers working in our cellars referred to it as 'Rioja Claret', distinguishing it from the robust reds made by blending wines from the lower and Navarre regions of the Ebro River.
Over these five decades, Viña Arana has evolved from being labeled as 'Crianza de Rioja' to becoming 'Reserva de Rioja' in 1979, a category it held until 2012 when we decided to elevate it to Gran Reserva. With this decision, we became the only Spanish winery with three Gran Reserva wines in our portfolio, complementing the renowned Gran Reserva 890 and Gran Reserva 904.
According to Julio Sáenz, our Winemaker, "Viña Arana has always maintained its distinctive characteristics in constant evolution, even when the international market, especially in the 90s, favored a different style of wines with more color, alcohol, ripe fruit, and new oak." "Its elegance, silkiness, soft acidity, and extraordinary aging potential are the essential qualities that have always distinguished it, allowing it to be part of the Gran Reserva category, which has made Rioja wines globally acclaimed and sought after," says Sáenz.
To commemorate this 50th anniversary, we have planned a series of events and actions throughout the year, coinciding with the recent release of the 2016 vintage of Viña Arana Gran Reserva. According to our Technical Director, it is "a magnificent vintage to appreciate and understand the typicality, depth, and persistence of a Rioja Classic of the 21st century," made with 95% Tempranillo grapes and 5% Graciano from estates owned by La Rioja Alta, S.A. in Rodezno and Fuenmayor.
