Established in 1877 and located in the town of Haro, Bodegas Lopez de Heredia is the third oldest bodega (winery) in Rioja, run by the family’s fourth generation, and make wine in a ‘tradional’ method. The visit was fascinating and oh so different from the typical California winery tour (not that I don’t like California wine). For fellow wine buffs, I know you’ll enjoy the following. For those who aren’t (yet), I hope it piques a new or further curiosity of wine!

So what is traditional?

After harvest, crushing and de-stemming, the juice is put in large wood vats (over 100 years old and each holding around 20,000 liters / just over 5,000 gallons) where fermentation takes place. Natural yeast strains characteristic of Rioja built up on the vat’s insides over the years, thus no need to add yeast to start fermentation. Check this out:

Once fermentation is completed, the wine is transferred to different old wood vats where malolactic fermentation (ML) takes place. This usually doesn’t happen until the spring when the temperatures get warmer (warm temps are required for ML to take place). Like the old vats for primary fermentation, these second set of vats have a build up of the desired malolactic bacteria, thus the use of cultured bacteria isn’t required.

Long term aging in old oak barrels occurs next.

As we walked through the musty smelling caves, it was explained the mold on the walls (and we’re talking massive mold) helps control undesirable bacteria that could contribute to spoilage of the wine. We popped a bottle of reserva that night and noted the cork’s end and wine’s aroma slightly smelled of that must!

The aging barrels are used for up to 20 years. An interesting point is Heredia has their own on-site cooperage. Because they keep and use barrels so long, they found it necessary to have the capability to repair them in-house. With this comes the ability to build barrels as well.

They use American oak, which is stacked in pallets to age a few years prior to use. When barrels are at the end of their life, they’re broken down and the staves are used as firewood to toast new barrels.