Rioja Alavesa ( Basque : Arabako Errioxa ), officially Cuadrilla de Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa, in Spanish, and Biasteri-Arabako Errioxako kuadrilla , in Basque, is one of seven comarcas that make up the province of Álava , Spain . It covers an area of 315.83 km² with a population of 11,360 people (2010). The capital lies at Laguardia . It is part of a notable wine growing region .
11-522: The Rioja Alavesa's northern boundary is formed by the Sierra de Cantabria and Sierra de Toloño , mountain ranges that separate it from the rest of Álava. To the south, its geographical limit is marked by the Ebro River, its border with the neighboring autonomous community of La Rioja . The Sonsierra of La Rioja includes the municipalities of Ábalos and San Vicente de la Sonsierra , located north of
22-525: A fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil. On the slopes of the Sierra de Toloño , parts of the Rioja Alavesa may benefit from the cooler temperatures found at these higher altitudes. From most to least populous,
33-612: Is Mount Toloño at 1271 metres above sea level in the municipality of Labastida . It is noted for its steep rock faces on the southern side, and extensive forests in the north. The range is a landmark visible throughout the region. The Basque official name is Toloñoko mendilerroa, while in Spanish it is Sierra del Toloño. In Spanish, Sierra de Cantabria can be used too as a name, but the Instituto Geografico Nacional (Spanish National Geographic Institute) changed
44-648: The Monastery of Santa María de Toloño are located in a meadow at 1201 metres above sea level. It was abandoned in 1422. 42°37′26″N 2°45′46″W / 42.62389°N 2.76278°W / 42.62389; -2.76278 Obarenes Mountains The Obarenes Mountains ( Spanish : Montes Obarenes ) is a mountain range in northern Spain . The range has an approximate length of 30 km, and an average altitude of 800 and 900 meters. It extends from Hoces del Ebro in Sobrón (Burgos and Álava provinces) to
55-701: The Sierra de Cantabria , is a mountain range in the province of Álava in the Basque Country in northern Spain . From the west, the range rises from the Conchas de Haro where the River Ebro enters the region of La Rioja at 445 metres above sea level, and from there runs east forming the northern border of the Rioja Alavesa , separating the Rioja region from the rest of Álava . Its highest point
66-463: The 15 municipalities of the region are: 42°33′11″N 2°36′12″W / 42.55306°N 2.60333°W / 42.55306; -2.60333 This article about a location in the Basque Country, Spain, is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sierra de Cantabria The Toloño ( Basque : Toloño mendilerroa ; Spanish : Sierra del Toloño ), also known as
77-405: The Ebro River. Although geographically part of the river's left bank, these municipalities form a wedge of land technically belonging to the autonomous community of La Rioja. It thus divides the Rioja Alavesa in two: in the western part, the municipality of Labastida , and the remaining Rioja Alavesa municipalities to the east, with Laguardia and Oion as its main towns. The border with Navarre to
88-786: The Middle-Late Bronze Age La Hoya people. The Romans established themselves in the area due to its climate and mountainous landscape. During the Middle Ages, this region belonged to the Kingdom of Navarre, the Sonsierra , which was eventually occupied and annexed to the Crown of Castile in 1463 as a result of Castile's intervention in the Kingdom of Navarre . The local economy is based primarily on viticulture and
99-604: The east is not based on clearly defined geographical features like the aforementioned boundaries. The rivers within the area are all tributaries of the Ebro. In 2023 researchers examined the remains of 338 individuals from a mass grave in a cave, dated to the late neolithic. They concluded many of those buried in the shallow grave showed signs of violent, unhealed injuries, the result of the first large-scale warfare in Europe. There are some dolmens and other archaeological remnants of
110-608: The official name in 2018. From west to east: The mountain range, together with the Obarenes Mountains , form an EU special protection area for birds of prey. Resident species in these mountains include the golden eagle , peregrine falcon , Griffon vulture , Egyptian vulture , Eurasian eagle-owl , Bonelli's eagle , red kite and common kestrel . Other larger mammals such as the roe deer , red fox and wild boar can occasionally be seen. At least 68 species of flowering plants have been identified. The ruins of
121-514: The production of Rioja wines, forming part of the Rioja denominación de origen . The region possesses 11,500 hectares of vineyards. La Rioja DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada, akin to AVA in US wine-growing regions) is separated into three subregions, Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. Despite having a very similar climate as the Rioja Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with
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