La Riojana’s Sheep

The dry, sunny weather in the Famatina Valley with warm days and cool nights make for naturally healthy crops, and is therefore ideal for organic grape production.

Instead of using chemical fertilisers, fungicides or pesticides that only provide nutrients for the vine, La Riojana uses organic fertiliser (compost), produced by sheep grazing freely in the vineyards, to feed the soil itself. This encourages the growth of beneficial organisms, such as bacteria, worms and fungi.

Healthy soils mean healthy vines, which are less prone to disease and therefore are less reliant on chemicals.

Not only do the sheep produce organic manure, they also eat weeds and pests and help to keep the grass down.