Ribera Alta

Within this zone, two areas should be distinguished: one encompassing the area of Olite, with a transitional climate, and the area of Lerín, with a dry semi-arid climate. There are 26 municipalities and it represents 38% of the Denomination. In the composition of its soils there is an abundance of limestone loams, alluvial in the river basins, with some areas of reddish soils and sandstones.

OTHER TERRITORIES

The area around Olite, a land of transition, combines gentle landscapes, varied soils and a warm semi-arid climate.

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Situation

It is located in the middle strip of Navarre, in the transition zone towards the south of the region, with an important wine-growing area around Olite. Capital: Tafalla.

Landscape

An area with gentle relief in the north and around the Ega, which becomes flatter on its way south, where vines and cereals cohabit.

Vineyard area

3,513 hectares.

Main grape varieties

Tempranillo predominates, with a good representation of the other reds, especially Graciano. In whites, it stands out for having the highest proportion of Chardonnay in the region and a certain presence of Moscatel.

Soils

It covers soils developed on various types of relief and different materials. On most of the slopes it occupies soils of variable thickness and stoniness, fine loamy or silty textures on alternations of loams and sandstones of the continental Tertiary, except in some areas of Cárcar, Sesma, Lerín or Falces where it occupies shallow soils of clay-loam textures with a marked gypsum content, precisely on alternations of loams and gypsum. As in other areas, it occupies deep soils on alluvial materials of different levels of Quaternary terraces of the Ega, Arga, Cidacos and Aragón rivers, with loamy textures and often stony, which provides excellent drainage. In the highest terraces, such as Monplanet in Olite or the Saso de Santacara, calcareous crusts at shallow depths are frequent.

Weather

It is a transition zone located between the upper dry zone and the semi-arid zone, where climatic transitions are very gradual because its relief is quite flat. Far from the oceanic and Pyrenean influences, it is a warmer zone than those of the north. Its average annual rainfall varies between 507 and 349 mm and the annual water deficit for vines is around 200-300 mm. The favorable vegetative periods for the vineyard vary between 234 days in Olite and 259 in Mélida.

Municipalities and councils

Artajona, Beire, Berbinzana, Cadreita, Caparroso, Cárcar, Carcastillo, Falces, Funes, Larraga, Lerín, Lodosa, Marcilla, Mélida, Milagro, Miranda de Arga, Murillo el Cuende, Murillo el Fruto, Olite, Peralta, Pitillas, Sansoain, Santacara, Sesma, Tafalla and Villafranca.

Royal-Palace-of-Olite_Francis-Vaquero_Tourism-of-Navarre

Wine tourism, explore Ribera Alta

- Visit the wineries in Ribera Alta. - Olite and its Royal Palace: pure medieval fantasy at your fingertips. - Cerco de Artajona and other Romanesque jewels. - Monastery of La Oliva.

VISIT THE RIBERA ALTA

Lower Ribera

SEE LOWER SHORE