In Viñedos Real Rubio we have over 90 hectares of our own vines, which we cultivate according to a carefully studied plan. First, we decide which varieties we will grow in each plot depending on the soil and climate conditions, as well as the way the vines face, so as to shelter them from the wind or over-exposure to the sun.
Among all these, if we consider the area planted with each grape, the most significant varieties are Tempranillo, occupying around 38 hectares, Garnacha, with 27 hectares and Graciano, with 17 hectares. And while the commitment to these more traditional Rioja varieties is one of the distinguishing features of Viñedos Real Rubio, we also have organic vines, to which we devote 26 hectares, in which we grow Verdejo, Graciano, Chardonnay, Tempranillo and Muscatel grapes.
All the vines are cultivated according to growing practices aimed at achieving maximum quality in the grapes, as well as respect for the environment. With this as our goal, we do not use insecticides, which we replace with sexual confusion methods, and we use integrated crop control techniques so as to avoid the use of phytosanitary treatments as far as possible. Moreover, in some varieties, we follow practices which are not very common due to their cost, but which are highly effective, such as leaf thinning, in order to achieve a better balance between the skin and the juice in the berry, and thus improve the quality.
Finally, in order to widen our understanding and improve growing methods, we have plots which are set aside for research and experimentation with new grape varieties. We also take part in research projects, such as the Study of Pruning in the Verdejo Variety, with the Agricultural Research Centre of the Government of La Rioja and the Agricultural Technology Institute of Castilla y León.