Ribera del Duero Wine Facts

We wished that we’d had more time in the Ribera del Duero wine region. We visited only three bodegas on our one-day stint from Burgos.  We did not have any appointments, and that was a major mistake. In 2007 all the wineries required appointments to taste and take a tour. However, each bodega we visited had a tienda (store). We discovered that at each tienda, the wine was sold at wholesale prices. There was no markup like we have here in our California tasting rooms. What a fantastic idea!

One funny story: At the Bodegas Abadia Retuerta, the two of us arrived when a tour in English was just about to embark. There were only four people in the tour group. We asked the man at Abadia Retuerta if we could join the tour. Sorry, he said, you must call and make an appointment.”  “I said, “But there are only four people taking the tour.” He responded to my dire plea, “Sorry, but you must call to make an appointment!” We knew at that point there was no bending of the rules. Spain has its traditions.

• Ribera del Duero lies within the provinces of Burgos and Valladolid
• Tinto Fino is what the Tempranillo grape is called in this region. Another commonly used term is Tinto del Pais.
• Ribera Del Duero is located at an altitude of 2300 feet. This provides the area with cool evening temperatures.
• The wines are considered to be more bold and robust in general than the wines of Rioja.
• The term Golden Mile of Spain refers to the highway N-122 where several bodegas are located between Peñafiel and Aranda de Duero.
• Much of the Ribera del Duero wine region runs along the Duero river.
• There are some to 215 bodegas in Ribera del Duero.
• Ribera del Duero wines are increasing in popularity throughout the world.
• Ribera de Duero wines are wines that can be drunk young but definitely become more complex with aging.
• Other grapes grown in Ribera del Duero are Merlot, Melbac, and Garnache. However the principal grape of the region is Tinto Fino (Tempanillo).