Spain

Ribera del Duero

 

Ribera del Duero is a wine-growing region in Castile-Leon, Spain. In the 1980s and 1990s, the area experienced a rapid development and is now one of the most famous regions of Spain and has earned a good name in the international markets. 18,450 hectares of vines are currently (2003) planted. The plateau of Castilla, which constitutes the entire center of the Iberian Peninsula, with 500 km length and width is the largest plateau in Europe. The name of the region is the Douro River, which rises in the Picos de Urbión near Soria. The entire cultivation area is 115 kilometers long and reaches at its greatest width 35 kilometers. The acreage may not be extended by law to more than 15,000 ha. Ribera del Duero is one of the smaller growing areas in Spain. However, hardly any other area in the last 10 years has caused so much because of its high qualities so much. The cultivation rules leave several grape varieties for cultivation on D.O. Surfaces too. But the dominating main grape variety is the "Tinta del País", biologically identical to the Tempranillo of the Rioja, which covers over 80% of the planted vineyards. The Spanish winemakers owe almost all of their precious wines to this great strain. It combines the fruit and robust power of Cabernet Sauvignon with the rounded elegance of large pinots. Grapes RED: Tinta del País (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Garnacha Tinta, Albillo