Good article (link below) providing some insight into the many change happening and being considered in Spain right now. During my week in La Rioja in March, I spoke to many winemakers, winery owners, etc. Winemaking has evolved, for the better, in Spain and those wineries that are hyper-focused on quality are intent on differentiating themselves from those that are more interested in quantity. A few have already abandoned the DO to have the flexibility to do just that.
An interesting side note, not included in this article is that last year, the area previously designated at Rioja Baja decided to change the name to Rioja Oriental. (Yes, really!) The intent was to move away from the "lower" designation. But, as I visited each winery, I asked everyone what they thought about the name change. The response was consistently negative, including one person that told me that she had no idea how to even properly pronounce it - is there a Spanish pronunciation?? I'm guessing another change may be coming.