A 2,000-year-old legacy of fine Spanish wines

In Spain’s northern plateau, about two hours north of Madrid, the Duero River Valley is a place of extremes – hot summers, cold winters, a short growing season, limited rainfall and a wide variety of soils. Perfect conditions, as it turns out, for creating the pinnacle of Spanish winemaking and the ultimate expression of the country’s most noble red grape – Tempranillo.

With more than 250 wineries in Ribera del Duero now devoted to their craft, the world is taking notice of the region’s outstanding and approachable wines.

“They are honest and unique wines with a personality that can be found nowhere else,” says Eduardo Cano Uribe, Communications Director of Ribera del Duero’s official Consejo Regulador, the governing body that oversees all aspects of the region’s viticultural and winemaking process.

While the wines of Ribera del Duero have only begun to emerge on the international scene in relatively recent years, winemaking in Ribera dates back at least 2,000 years, to the Roman era. Ribera’s earliest underground cellars, with their distinctive chimneys, were built in the 13th Century in towns across the region, and still serve to protect wines from the extreme climate. Wine became an essential aspect of Ribera’s cultural and economic development in the 15th Century, resulting in the first quality regulations, the “Ordinances of Castilla y León.” Vega Sicilia, Ribera’s most acclaimed winery and one of the world’s premier wine estates, was founded in 1864 and set the stage for other award-winning wines from the region. Ribera del Duero wines consistently rank among the highest rated wines from Spain.

The region’s climate, coupled with the loftiest elevations of any winemaking region in Europe – some vineyards are as high as 3,100 feet – creates unique growing conditions. Summer temperatures in Ribera can reach over 100 °F during the day, then fall to 50 °F at night.

“We like to say that we put the Tempranillo in the refrigerator every night to make it better,” says Cano Uribe. “The coldness stops the grape from maturing and then it starts all over again during the day. This continual maturing and then stopping is what brings out the very best qualities of Tempranillo.”

What also sets the wines of Ribera del Duero apart is the region’s emphasis on quality over quantity. While vineyards could produce a maximum yield of 3.1 tons of grapes per acre, the yield is typically about half that, or about 1.6 tons. In addition, the barrels, made of French and American oak, are changed every three years.

There are several designations for wines produced in Ribera del Duero. Joven wines are aged only three to six months and are meant to be consumed young. Crianza wines, aged two years, display well-balanced tannins and a velvety mouthfeel. Aged for three years, Reserva wines are elegant and intense with a rich, lingering finish. Gran Reserva wines are aged a minimum of five years and are complex and structured with great balance and vitality. And the Rosado, or Rosé wines, boast refreshing wild berry flavors and are available shortly after each year’s harvest. 

For more information about the wines of  Ribera del Duero, please visit www.drinkriberawine.com