D.O. RIBERA DEL DUERO
Ribera del Duero is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) located in the country's northern plateau and is one of several recognised wine-producing regions to be found along the course of the Duero river. Founded in 1982, this DO is dedicated almost entirely to the production of red wine from the Tempranillo grape.
It occupies the southern plains of the province of Burgos, extends west into Valladolid and includes parts of Segovia and Soria provinces to the south and east, respectively. As its name suggests, the region follows the course of the Duero river for approximately 115 km upstream from Valladolid and is around 35 km at its widest.
The region is characterised by a largely flat, rocky terrain and is centred on the town of Aranda de Duero, although the most famous vineyards surround Peñafiel and Roa de Duero to the west, where the regional regulatory council or Consejo Regulador for the denominación is based.
Also, the region has moderate to low rainfall (450 mm per year) and is exposed to quite extreme climatic conditions; long, dry summers with temperatures of up to 40 °C are followed by hard winters during which temperatures may fall as low as -18 °C. Vineyards occupy around 120 km² of the region, most of which are situated in the province of Burgos, with around 5 km² in Valladolid and 6 km² in Soria.
Ribera del Duero wine making goes back over 2,000 years as evidenced by the 66 meter mosaic of Bacchus, the god of wine that was unearthed relatively recently at Baños de Valdearados. But viticulture as we know it probably arrived in the Ribera del Duero region with Benedictine monks from Cluny in the Burgundy region of France in the twelfth century.
Ribera del Duero wines are currently enjoying greater popularity,thanks largely to the considerable interest shown in the area by experienced growers from other regions.
