Commemorative Book: "Rioja, One Hundred Reasons to Toast"

• Through 232 pages and with a deluxe binding, the book “Rioja, One Hundred Reasons to Toast”, written by wine journalist Javier Pascual, offers a contemporary view of Spain’s first Designation of Origin and analyzes the keys to its success.
• Rioja is approaching the halfway point of its Centennial, with half a dozen events and gatherings planned in Spain and international markets over the coming weeks.

As the Centennial of the Rioja Designation of Qualified Origin reaches its midpoint, the Regulatory Council today releases the commemorative book “Rioja, One Hundred Reasons to Toast”, coinciding with World Book Day. This limited-edition work, written by renowned wine journalist Javier Pascual, spans 232 pages and offers a contemporary portrait of Rioja, placing the people who have shaped and continue to shape it at the heart of the story.

Structured into five chapters, the author outlines in this book the key factors behind Rioja’s development and success as one of the world’s leading wine regions. “It is a privilege and a great honor that the Regulatory Council entrusted me with this very special edition, which is the result of nearly five decades in which I’ve had the opportunity to work in a sector where I’ve met so many people capable of sharing the passion sparked by everything surrounding wine culture,” says Javier Pascual, author of the book.

Accompanied by archival and contemporary images, with a refined aesthetic and deluxe binding, the journalist offers in his narrative an opportunity to rediscover the values that have underpinned Rioja’s leading position. He explores its unique identity from a new perspective: the human factor—not just the product and the land, which are usually the main focus.

“This book is an invitation to celebrate the journey so far and to raise a glass to those who have made it possible, but also to keep imagining and shaping its future together, so that Rioja continues writing its story with the same ambition,” says Fernando Ezquerro, President of the Regulatory Council of the DOCa Rioja.

A Centennial Year

The Regulatory Council is entering an intense period of activity focused on positioning and promoting the Centennial of the DOCa, with numerous events and special actions where the book “Rioja, One Hundred Reasons to Toast”, which highlights the achievements of the Designation, will be presented as a special gift.

Since its presentation on January 28, the DOCa Rioja has celebrated a dozen activities and meetings in Spain and other countries around the world to commemorate the birth of Spain’s first Designation of Origin.

In the coming weeks, the exclusive professional event “Rioja Prestige Tasting” will take place in Switzerland at the end of this month; followed by a tour with winemakers, vineyard owners, and representatives from the Regulatory Council of the DOCa in Hong Kong and Shanghai in early May; the “Cata del Siglo” (Tasting of the Century) for 300 professionals in Madrid and Bilbao; and the Centennial celebration event in New York, in the heart of the “Big Apple,” organized in collaboration with the prestigious Robb Report publication in mid-May. Looking ahead to the summer, a large wine and gastronomy event aimed at consumers is scheduled for July at the Hackney Bridge venue in London.

In this way, the DOCa Rioja is gradually approaching the midpoint of its Centennial, during which one of the major milestones is expected to take place: the commemorative day marking the creation of the Denomination, which will feature high-level institutional representation and is scheduled for June 5.