Description
About DO Ribera del Duero
Literally meaning “banks on the River Duero” the DO Ribera del Duero lies on the Northern plains of the autonomous community of Castilla y León some 90 minutes drive North of Madrid. The Duero River, as it flows West through Portugal becomes the Douro and of course, the vineyard that are home to that countries famous Port styles.
At over 800 meters above sea level it is one of the highest wine-growing regions in Europe. The D.O. was founded in 1982 though winemaking in the region has been carried out for several centuries and the predominant grape varieties grown are Arbillo, Tempranillo (Tinto Fino or Tinta del Pais) and scattered planting of the Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot.
As a general rule of thumb the wine styles of Ribera del Duero tend to be more “modern” in style than their counterparts in Rioja.
