Circular 8/1997. Young vineyards.
Entry into production of the and their
consideration as a protected grapes

In Regulations of the Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja, OM of 3 April 1991, article 19, sections 1 and 2 set out the requirements required for the registration of vineyards in the Register of Vineyards of this Control Board, among which, the grapes can be used for the production of protected wines. In addition, Regulations require the Control Board to strictly control the production, yield and quality of the grapes.

In compliance with these control requirements, the Control Board Plenary has in place, since its session of 2 November  1981, a system to control the production of grapes from young vineyards, which was ratified in a session held on 21 January 1985 (Official Circular No. 1/85). The major renewal of vineyards since then and the new methods of control used by the Control Board in the last growing campaigns, require an update of these standards, which were revised, regarding the maximum authorised production for young vineyards, by decision of the Control Board Plenary in its session of 14 September 1993, ratified in the session of 7 March 1997.

In view of the above, we proceed to update and integrate the decisions in force on this question, which become as follows:

ONE. Vineyards are considered to be producing Rioja grapes provided three years have elapsed since planting and the vines have attained their fourth growth cycle. For the purposes of this Circular, planting means the final placement of vine plants, grafted with an authorised grape variety, with a view to produce grapes. As an example, the vineyards planted in the aforementioned conditions in the spring of 1997 will enter into production in the harvest of the year 2000, being subject to the provisions of Article 8 of the Regulations in terms of maximum production per hectare.

TWO. Exceptionally, on the initiative of interested grape growers submitted in writing in advance of the harvest, The Control Board may authorise the bringing forward of a growth cycle for the production of Rioja grapes, provided that the said request is favourably reported by the Technical Service and the maximum estimated production in the vineyard, in the opinion of the Service, does not exceed 3,250 kg/ha for red varieties and 4,500 kg/ha for white varieties.

Logroño, 21 March 1997

THE PRESIDENT,

Ángel de Jaime Baró