Editing Rioja DOCa (section)

==Sub-regions==
[[File:Rioja alavesa wine.jpg|right|thumb|A wine from the Rioja Alavesa region]]
[[File:Rioja alta and Río Ebro.JPG|left|thumb|Rioja Alta and [[Ebro]]]]

===Rioja Alta===
Located on the western edge of the region and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known more for its "old world" style of wine. A higher elevation equates to a shorter growing season, which in turn produces brighter fruit flavors and a wine that is lighter on the palate.<ref name="Sotheby pg 312-314">T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 312–314 Dorling Kindersley 2005 {{ISBN|0-7566-1324-8}}</ref>

===Rioja Alavesa===
The region of [[Rioja Alavesa]] is in the province of [[Álava]] in the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]], on the northern bank of the [[River Ebro]]. Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller [[body (wine)|body]] and higher acidity.<ref name="Sotheby pg 312-314"/> Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.<ref name="Oxford pg 580-581">J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 580–581 Oxford University Press 2006 {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}</ref>

===Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja)===
Unlike the more [[continental climate (wine)|continental climate]] of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Oriental is strongly influenced by a [[Mediterranean climate (wine)|Mediterranean climate]] which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s [[irrigation (wine)|irrigation]] has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 35&nbsp;°C (95 [[Fahrenheit|°F]]).<ref name="Oxford pg 580-581"/> A number of the vineyards are actually located in nearby [[Navarra]] but the wine produced from those grapes belongs to the Rioja appellation. Unlike the typically pale Rioja wine, Oriental wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic. They typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of the Rioja.<ref name="Sotheby pg 312-314"/>