The region (Nafarroa in Basque) with the capital Pamplona in the north of Spain covers 10,385 km² and is the part of the historic kingdom of Navarre located south of the Pyrenees. In the north, the main Pyrenean ridge forms the border with France. It borders the Basque Country to the west, Rioja to the south and Aragon to the east.

History

In 905, King Sancho I founded his own kingdom of Navarre (Nafarroa in Basque) with Pamplona as its capital. In its heyday under Sancho III (990-1035), it stretched from Barcelona to Bordeaux on both sides of the Pyrenees. The first inhabitants were the Basques, whose influence can still be felt today.

The Count of Champagne Thibaut I inherited the kingdom in 1234, after which it was administered by several French ruling lines. In 1512, the larger part of Upper Navarre south of the Pyrenees was annexed by Ferdinand II of Aragon and thus became Spanish. The son of the Queen of Navarre Joan ascended the French throne as King Henry IV (1553-1610) in 1589 and incorporated the northern part into the Kingdom of France in 1607. The region has a very old wine-growing tradition. An ancient Roman cellar with a capacity of around 75,000 litres was found near the village of Funes.

Phylloxera disaster

In the 11th century, the famous pilgrimage route "Camino de Santiago" (to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia) ran through Pamplona. The pilgrims enjoyed wines from the neighbouring Rioja and Navarre regions to the west along the route, which led to a lively export of Spanish wines to Normandy. Navarre was already famous for its rosé wines (rosados) in the 15th century.

After the discovery of America in 1492, the region experienced a great wine boom. The ships to the New World were loaded with wine from Navarre. At the end of the 19th century, almost 100% of the 50,000 hectares were destroyed by phylloxera and were completely replanted. In 1911, one of the first Spanish winegrowers' co-operatives was founded in Navarre. The EVENA research institute played a major role in the upswing.

Viticulture

The vineyards cover 17,000 hectares of vineyards with the almost comprehensive DO area of Navarra. Geographically, the area is divided into five sub-areas: Tierra Estelba and Valdizarbe in the north, Baja Montaña and Ribera Alta north of the Ebro in the centre and Ribera Baja in the south. Red wines make up 60% and rosé wines 30%. A speciality is the DO-clasified sloe liqueur Pacharán.

Important red wine varieties are Garnacha Tinta (40%), Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Graciano, Mazuela (Mazuelo), Pinot Noir and Merlot. Important white wine varieties are Viura (Macabeo), Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía (Planta Nova), Chardonnay and Moscatel Menudo (Muscat Blanc). There are two DO areas and three Vino de Pago areas (quality wines), as well as two IGP areas (regional wines). Cava (sparkling wine) may also be produced.

• 3 Riberas (IGP)
• Cava (supra-regional DO)
• Navarre (DO)
• Pago de Arínzano (Vino de Pago)
• Pago de Otazu (Vino de Pago)
• Prado de Irache (Vino de Pago)
• Ribera del Queiles (IGP) - also in Aragon