Ribera del Duero is the oldest and most relevant Appellation of Origin in the Community of Castilla y León. Its Regulatory Board celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2008. Around 200 wineries belong to this D.O with more than 600 brands, which promote wine tourism in the area.
More than 100 municipalities of the provinces of Burgos, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid belong to this Appellation. It's a wine-producing area of about 115 km long and 35 km wide.
Wine and vineyards have long been part of the culture of the lands and people that inhabit the heart of the Douro. 2.000 years ago the great wealth of this land and its potential to produce quality wines was already known. With a continental climate, the D.O. Ribera del Duero is characterized by very hot summers of up to 40 degrees and very cold winters with temperatures below zero, all accompanied by sudden storms and intense frost. Climatic contrasts to extremes that alter the course of the vineyards. The Ribera del Duero has an average of 450 mm of rain per year.
Nature itself and the passage of time have contributed to create a soil of silty and clayey sands. There are many factors involved in the development of a Ribera del Duero wine. Manual harvesting continues to prevail in this area, the collection and selection of the fruit is particularly important because only the best grapes are accepted to achieve a high quality wine, the rest are discarded.
The star variety is Tempranillo, also known as Tinta del País or Tinto Fino, it is responsible for the color, aroma and body characteristics of the Ribera del Duero wines. The other red varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Garnacha. The Albillo is the only white variety allowed. The rosé wines produced in the Ribera del Duero are fruity and fresh, with an attractive acidity. The young red wines, of deep color, are broad in fruity aromas and full of flavor. The aged reds are velvety and of powerful structure, fruit and wood perfectly assembled. And reserve red wines and large reserves are intense and elegant, of attractive complexity and they are among the longest living wines in the world.
