Blog The Descorche of the Rioja Press
Text: Javier Pascual, director of the Rioja press
Investigators discover in Valvanera this variety adapted to cold climates
The monasteries were not only for centuries refuge for knowledge, housing with zeal among their walls on prohibited sometimes. The role they played in some territories such as conservatives and transmitters of viticulture and winemaking is well known. Today we find in the monastery of Valvanera, perched at 1,000 m altitude at the foot of San Lorenzo, not only a refuge for the spirit, but also for one of the strains better adapted to cold climates, such as legiruela. It has been discovered researchers from the University of La Rioja / Institute of Vine and Wine Institute (F. Martínez de Todo, J. C. Sancha, P. Balda and J. Ibáñez). And not by chance, because they have other discoveries in our region, from ‘Vitis Silvestris’ to strains of practically missing varieties, which have been successfully recovered for our viticulture. The result of the analysis and identification carried out at the Vid Sciences Institute and the wine showed that the strain corresponded to the Legiruela variety, a white variety specially adapted to cold climates, with a late sprouting, which allows it to escape from spring frosts, and a very early maturation, which allows it to mature before the cold ones arrive. Who planted it in Valvanera should know her special adaptation to that altitude and her ability to mature in these conditions and, therefore, she resorted to her despite not existing in the vineyard of the region. Due to the important role that they played in the development of viticulture, it does not seem unreasonable to think in the opinion of the researchers, that the Benedictines were responsible for the plantation and existence of this variety in Valvanera, taking advantage of their knowledge about viticulture and about the behavior of other varieties of vid in colder European viticultural areas.
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