Dinastia Vivanco

The wines of Dinastia Vivanco are born in the vineyard. From there they really get their personality. That of the terroir, the landscape and what all happens in a whole year. That is why, at the beginning of the construction of the winery, Dinastia Vivanco had a clear idea of what they wanted to achieve. It was about treating the grape with respect, with the aim of enhancing its qualities. And that's exactly what they did at Dinastia Vivanco.

Dinastia Vivanco - Rioja at its best

All the grapes here are picked by hand and placed in small tubs or crates so that the berries do not break open but remain intact. After they arrive at the Dinastia Vivanco winery, vinification begins with the most novel aspect of the winery. A cold room where the grapes are refrigerated for 24 hours to lower their temperature to 3 °C. But what for? To extract the color and aromas of the grapes in a less aggressive way in the tank, thus preserving all their personality. In a way, at Dinastia Vivanco we produce a particularly cold infusion of grapes and must, which can be called not only cold maceration, but almost ice cold maceration. 

Double selection of grapes and berries

All grapes at Dinastia Vivanco go first to a grape sorting table and then to a berry sorting table. While all the grapes move past at a low, albeit continuous speed, leaves, shoots, grapes and berries in poor condition, as well as small remnants of the stems, are eliminated. The goal is that only the best grapes become part of the future wine.

Working with gravity - almost a matter of course

Another hallmark of Dinastia Vivanco is its almost exclusive work with gravity. The grapes are received, selected and destemmed at the highest level, where the tanks are located. There is a height difference of 5 meters from the upper to the lower floor. This allows the grapes to enter the tanks by their own weight and does not require pumping.

Vinification in small French oak barrels

Another trademark of Dinastia Vivanco are the oak barrels made of particularly fine-pored French oak, in which the wines mature and also undergo malolactic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is the natural transformation of malic acid into lactic acid, which is perceived as milder by the human palate at the same PH level. Dinastia Vivanco wines undergo malolactic fermentation in large French oak barrels - Crianzas and Reservas, and the limited production Colección Vivanco even in French oak barriques.

Terroirs and grape varieties at Dinastia Vivanco

If one had to choose a word to define La Rioja, it would probably be "diversity." The terrain, the type of wind, the color of the soil, every meter, every jump from one village to the next is a change in the landscape. If you were to draw a horizontal line on a map, you would find that it is only 100 kilometers from the westernmost to the easternmost part of La Rioja. To the north lies the Sierra de Cantabria, to the south the Sierra de la Demanda. And from west to east the river Ebro crosses it. This is La Rioja - a large valley between two mountain ranges that protect it. The western part is called Rioja Alta, then there is Central Rioja and then the eastern part called Rioja Baja, all in 100 kilometers.

This diversity conditions the grape cultivation. Each grape variety finds its ideal place to express itself. Some, like Garnacha Tinta, require more light and others, like Tempranillo, thrive best with cool nights and slow ripening.

Grape harvest at Dinastia Vivanco

All grapes are harvested by hand in small 10-kg bins to avoid damage and ensure the berries remain as whole as possible. The timing of the harvest is mainly determined by a strict ripeness control, where the grapes are tasted plot by plot.

Rafael Vivanco Saenz - the winemaker

Rafael was born in Logroño in 1975, the son of the winery's founder. Wine was very important to his family and also to him, although he admits that there were more important things for him as a boy. At the age of 18, Rafael went to Pamplona to study agricultural engineering, because in addition to feeling wine, of course, it is also about knowledge.Rafael Vivanco Saenz then really fell in love with Bordeaux. Two years of study at the Faculty of Enology and two more years of winemaking in some of the most prestigious wineries in the region led him to think deeply about what La Rioja and its terroirs are capable of giving. in 2001, Rafael Vivanco Saenz returned to Briones with his ideas and set to work.

Awards for Dinastia Vivanco

Thanks to Rafael Vivanco's personal winemaking vision, Bodegas Vivanco has received a number of awards, both for the quality of its wines and for combining modern, innovative methods with traditional techniques in all winemaking processes.

• Wine & Spirits: Top 100 Wineries of the Year 2014
• Gourmets Guide: Winery of the Year 2013
• La Rioja Internationalization Award for Bodegas Dinastía Vivanco 2012
• Verema: Best Winery of the Year 2009 
• Travel and Tourism Magazine: Award for the best winery in Spain 2009