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A nasty bug, a bad management decision and some cross border cooperation led to the successful development of Spain’s Rioja wines

A vineyard in La Rioja, Spain: a series of bad decisions changed the region’s fortunes forever

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. Well, it’s true for French wine estate Château Lanessan. More luxurious and beautiful than its superstar neighbours Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Château Lagrange and Château Beychevelle, their vintages are far more famous, and more expensive.

If they were not, the story of Spain’s Rioja wines might have been very different.

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