LA RIOJANA UNVEILS BRAND NEW LOOK FOR RIOJANA WINE RANGE

La Riojana co-operative has recently launched a striking new look for its popular Fairtrade Organic wine range, Riojana, designed to stand out on shelf and better reflect the quality and personality inside each bottle. 

The bold, modern new labels for both the Varietal and Reserve ranges are inspired by the valleys of La Rioja, framed by majestic mountains, with the village of Tilimuqui depicted in the foreground – a community where Fairtrade has played a vital role in local development.  

The rebrand, which uses vibrant colour palettes for the Varietal range and more muted colours for the Reserve wines, brings a fresh, visual identity to the collection while staying true to its roots. 

Alongside the rebrand, La Riojana has also introduced three new products to its Riojana Fairtrade Organic Reserve range, including a Red Blend Reserve (made from Malbec, Bonarda, Merlot, Ancellota); Chardonnay Reserve and Torrontés Reserve, as well as a new Fairtrade Sparkling wine. 

“We wanted the outside of the bottle reflect the same care and craft we put into our wines inside,” says Walter Carol, Export Director for La Riojana co-operative. “This is a contemporary update that captures the spirit of our Riojana wines.”

The rebranded range includes six wines within the Varietal collection: Malbec; Bonarda Malbec; Cabernet Sauvignon; Chardonnay; Torrontés Riojano; Rosé and five wines within the Reserve range: Red Blend; Chardonnay; Torrontés Riojano; Malbec and Pinot Noir, along with the Riojana Sparkling. The range is already available in over 300 stores and supermarkets across the USA and is set to launch in Canada in the coming months.

DOUBLE SILVER AT THE DECANTER WORLD WINES AWARDS 2025

Fairtrade co-operative La Riojana has reinforced its reputation for quality and value by once again impressing the expert panels at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), one of the world’s most influential and respected blind-tasting wine competitions, collecting two silver medals and six bronze medals, the results for which were announced on Wednesday 18th June 2025. 

The two silver medallists, which scored 90 points each, include Tilimuqui Fairtrade Malbec 2024 and Co-op Fairtrade Bonarda Malbec 2024, both popular wines which retail through Co-op. The judges described the Tilimuqui Fairtrade Malbec 2024 as having a “nice floral lift with notes of perfumed black and blue fruits on the nose” and as a wine of “serious character with appealing juiciness.”. Whilst they described the Co-op Fairtrade Bonarda Malbec 2024 as having a “generous and rewarding palate, nice texture, chocolatey finish.”

The wines from La Riojana’s stable that won bronze medals at this year’s DWWA include five wines produced by La Riojana exclusively for the own-label Fairtrade range for Co-op, including Co-op Fairtrade Torrontes-Chardonnay 2024 (88 points); Co-op Fairtrade Merlot 2024 (88 points); Co-op Fairtrade Pinot Grigio 2024 (87 points); Co-op Fairtrade Shiraz Rosé 2024 (87 points) and Co-op Fairtrade Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 (87 points). 

In addition, the DWWA awarded a bronze medal and 88 points to Riojana’s Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2024, which retails through Waitrose, with the judges describing the wine as having “lovely bright red fruit aromas on the nose” as well as “juicy, with supporting tannins”. 

Commenting on these recent industry awards, Walter Carol, Export Director for La Riojana said “Medals such as these won at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards not only reflect the hard work, passion and precision behind each bottle, they are also testament to the consistent quality that our winery produces year in and year out.”

MEDAL SUCCESS AT THE INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2025

We’re raising a glass in celebration after winning an impressive set of medals at this year’s International Wine Challenge, one of the world’s most influential and rigorously judged wine competitions. 

Announced on 20th May 2025, our wines, all of which are Fairtrade certified, took home a total of nine awards, including three Silver Medals, three Bronze Medals and a further three Commended awards, reflecting the hard work, passion and precision behind each bottle.

Now in its 41st year, the IWC is recognised worldwide for its rigorous standards, impartiality and credibility, with each wine tasted blind by panels of expert judges over multiple rounds. Thousands of wines are entered from around the world, making the competition tough and our medal win even more rewarding. 

La Riojana wines awarded medals by this year’s IWC include:

Silver Medals

Co-op Fairtrade Torrontes Chardonnay 2024 
Co-op Fairtrade Bonarda Malbec 2024 
Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2024 

Bronze Medals

Co-op Fairtrade Merlot 2024 
Co-op Fairtrade Cabernet Sauvignon 2024
Co-op Fairtrade Irresistible Organic Malbec 2023

Commended

Co-op Fairtrade Pinot Grigio 2024 
Co-op Fairtrade Shiraz Rosé 2024
Tilimuqui Fairtrade Malbec 2024

Walter Carol, Export Director for La Riojana, commented, “Each of these wines showcase our ongoing commitment to crafting quality Fairtrade wines that not only deliver on taste but also support the people and communities behind every bottle.” Carol continues, “We are delighted with these results. An IWC medal is a recognised seal of quality, one that is trusted by the trade and consumers alike.” 

LA RIOJANA EXPANDS ITS NORDIC FOOTPRINT WITH NEW FAIRTRADE LISTINGS

In a move to bring Fairtrade wines to the forefront of Nordic wine shelves, La Riojana is proud to announce the Spring launch of two new Fairtrade-certified wines into the national alcohol monopolies Systembolaget (Sweden) and Alko (Finland). 

Sweden, which has been a long-established and important market for La Riojana wines, has seen the addition of La Riojana’s dual variety blend, Raza Fairtrade Organic Torrontes Pinot Grigio to the current range of wines available from La Riojana. 

The newly launched Raza Torrontés Pinot Grigio, which retails through Systembolaget, is a youthful, white wine with 11.5% vol, featuring an enticing floral and fruity character, with hints of pear, honeydew melon, spice, and lime. This wine is packaged in a lighter style wine bottle, which means lower carbon emissions during transport. 

Finland, also a longstanding market for La Riojana, has welcomed the launch of Fair & Square Malbec. This new release joins two existing Fairtrade Organic wines from La Riojana co-operative, both available through Alko, including Fair & Square Red, as well as Fair & Square White, which is currently the best-selling Argentine wine in Finland. 

The newly launched Fair & Square Malbec is a rich and full-bodied Fairtrade-certified jammy red wine offering soft tannins and layered notes of blueberry, boysenberry, raspberry, and a hint of spice. This wine, which retails through Alko, is packaged in environmentally friendly packaging, a 1 litre Tetra Prisma container which is 100% recyclable.  

Both newly launched wines offer Nordic consumers a meaningful choice, by providing high quality wines paired with a commitment to fair working conditions and environmentally friendly practices. 

“Consumers in Sweden and Finland are increasingly making conscious choices,” says Walter Carol, Export Director at La Riojana Co-op. “By working within the framework of Systembolaget and Alko, we are making Fairtrade options more accessible where it matters most, for example the everyday dinner table.”