Ribera del Duero

Ribera del Duero is an important wine producing area in Castilla y Leon in Northern Spain. Famous for its high-quality Tempranillo based red wines, some of the best examples in the world. The historic capital of Ribera del Duero, Aranda de Duero, is home to a series of antique underground cellars, some reaching the depth of 40 feet (12 meters). Even though the area has a long history of wine making it was not awarded DO status until 1982. Ribera de Duero is situated on the elevated northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula at 2800 feet (800 metres) above sea level. The plateau is divided by the Duero River, which is fitting at the name means ‘bank of the Duero’, this provides the vineyards with much-needed water supply. The region’s inland location with the sheltering effect of the Sierra de la Demanda and Sierra de Guadarrama mountains creates a very extreme climate where the summers are hot and dry and the winters harsh and cold, temperature ranging from -18C to 40C. These conditions contribute to the unique wines of the area.