Bodegas Beronia – Celebrating 50 Years And A New Winery

In 1973, a group of friends united by their love of gastronomy had a mission to create great wines to complement their culinary creations. The result was Bodegas Beronia. The flagship winery is located in La Rioja, Spain, with a second winery solely dedicated to the production of Verdejo located in Rueda. Now they are celebrating nearly five decades of award-winning and pioneering wines that are meant to be. enjoyed amongst friends from around the world.

In addition to celebrating its 50th anniversary, this past year, Bodegas Beronia moved into its new state-of-the-art winery, located on the Beronia estate in Ollauri, close to the town of Haro. The new bodega will be used for making and aging Beronia’s Reserva, Gran Reserva and other higher-end wines. The sustainable winery blends into the landscape and the majority of the building is underground, taking advantage of the different heights between the upper and lower parcels on the estate in order to enable the use of gravity in the winemaking process.

To celebrate the new winery, Bodegas Beronia has new labels to reflect the modern strides the region of Rioja is making. And while all this change is taking place, one thing that hasn’t changed is the quality of the wine inside the bottles. Bodegas Beronia is famous for its use of French and American oak and Winemaker Matias Calleja and his team are constantly studying how the wines react to different levels of toasting and types of wood, creating a perfect mix that allows for the ultimate Rioja-style wine. The winery was initially created with gastronomy in mind — to create the best wine to accompany all sorts of foods from traditional Rioja dishes to modern Basque pintxos.

Bodegas Beronia Reserva 2017 ($24.99)

Beronia Reserva is made from a selection of the best grapes from the oldest Tempranillo vines, plus some Graciano y Mazuelo. The wine spends 18 months in mixed French and American oak barrels to create the unmistakable “Beronia Style”. Lastly, the wine is left to rest in the bottle for a further 18 months before being released.

Beronia Reserva 2017 is a deep black plum color, clean and bright with a garnet rim. Attractive and intriguing on the nose it displays nutty aromas – roasted almonds, walnuts – followed by notes of plum primarily but also ripe fruit and a pleasant hint of white pepper, which all add complexity and freshness. Full-bodied on the palate, the wine displays balanced acidity. The flavors are mostly of ripe fruit, whilst the finish is sweet and smooth, bringing to mind cacao and roasted hazelnuts. This is a delicious wine, best enjoyed unhurriedly.

Bodegas Beronia Gran Reserva 2013 ($29.99)

The best grapes for this Gran Reserva are carefully selected from the Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo vineyards. Beronia Gran Reserva 2013 spent 27 months in French oak barrels, completing its aging with a further 36 months in the bottle prior to release.

Beronia Gran Reserva 2013 is a very deep garnet color. On the nose, it displays a vast array of aromas, from stewed ripe fruit to prunes and nuts such as walnuts. Subtle hints of tobacco and powdered cacao also come through, together with white pepper and balsamic notes that add freshness. It delivers distinct notes of fruit and nuts on the palate, which provide structure and tannin. The wine is long, very complex, balanced and also sophisticated.

***Photos Courtesy Bodegas Beronia***