The production trend of the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin has undergone a significant change in recent years. Thus, clarets have given way to reds, in whose production the Tinta del País variety predominates. They are highly appreciated by national and international consumers.

History

The first signs of winegrowing in the region date back to Roman times. The remains of a mosaic representing the god of wine, Bacchus, have been found in the region.

However, it was in the Middle Ages that vine growing was most encouraged. It was consolidated as one of the main economic activities. The first cellars excavated inside the houses appeared. Their wines were exported to other regions of the Iberian Peninsula.

At the end of the Middle Ages, wine production and trade were regulated for the first time. In subsequent centuries there was a period of decline. Finally, in 1982, the regulations of the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin and its Regulatory Council were approved. Since then, they have guaranteed the authenticity of their wines.

The production area includes the municipalities of Burgos, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid. The climate of these places is defined as Mediterranean temperate, dry and warm. Likewise, the soils are mainly composed of sandy, ochre and reddish clays. Also by medium and low terraces of the Duero, where the organic matter is scarce.

Types

The wines of the D.O. Ribera del Duero are mainly red, although there are also rosés. The most characteristic grape variety is the one called Tinta del país, known as Tempranillo.  It constitutes more than 90% of the production. According to the regulations of the Regulatory Council, for a wine to qualify for the designation of origin it must include at least 75% Tempranillo in its production.

Rosados (Rosé)

Visually they are clean and bright, with clean, fruity aromas. In the mouth it is balanced, refreshing and with the right acid taste. Served between 7 and 9ºC, they go well with appetizers and rice dishes.

Tintos (Red)

They have a clean and bright appearance, with red colours typical of wines that have not been aged. It shows fruit aromas, simplicity and intensity. On the palate they are balanced and lively.

Regarding the red grape varieties used in the production, the main ones are Tempranillo and Tinta del País. However, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha Tinta, Malbec, Merlot and Albillo Mayor are also authorised. Serve at 17ºC, with meat, rice and cheese.

Vinos de guarda (Wine for laying down)

Clean appearance, with a colour typical of aged wines. Aromas of fruit and wood. Persistent in the mouth, with appropriate balance and equilibrium. Ideal at 18ºC, with game, stews and cheese.

Whites

Blanco con Crianza (Aged Whites): These are yellow, straw-colored wines that are clear and glossy. They feature floral, fruity and oak-wood aromas. In the mouth they taste slightly acidic. It is recommended to keep them at a temperature between 10-12 ºC, and these wines are good companions of a variety of dishes such as shellfish, fish and stews.

Rosés

Rosado con Crianza (Aged Rosé): These wines are pink in color, and smell of red fruits and wood. Upon tasting, they are slightly acidic. For the rosés with or without ageing, a serving temperature of 10-12 ºC is recommended. These wines are especially good paired with white meats, stews, paellas and other rice dishes. For making it, the preferred grapes are Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, Mazuelo and Maturana Tinta, but Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Verdejo can also be used.

Reds

Tinto Crianza (Aged Reds): These wines have a hue of a cherry garnet. The aroma is fruity, and toasty nuances are interspersed in the mouth. The right temperature for serving is around 16-18 ºC, as for the Reserves and Grand Reserves.

Tinto Reserva (Reserve Reds): These are a cherry red color, with aromas of fruit and spices. Upon tasting they are perceived as soft, with good structure and gustatory harmony. Both Aged and Reserve red wines are excellent companions of legumes, meats and cheeses.

Tinto Gran Reserva (Grand Reserve Reds): These wines are a ruby-red color, with hues of brick. The aroma is very complex and intense. When tasting, they are soft, thin and persistent in flavor. They are good companions of red meat roasts, dishes from hunting, and very cured cheeses.

History

The Rioja denomination of origin was already recognized as such in 1925, so it is one of the oldest in Spain. In addition, it was awarded the Character of Quality in 1991, thus reaching the highest level of quality of the regulated quality figures, and being the first to obtain it. The production area is subdivided into three sub-areas: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. One hundred kilometers apart are the westernmost town Haro, and the easternmost town Alfaro.  In this manner, the vineyards grow in a diverse range of soils (calcareous clay, ferrous clay, and alluvial soil are the three dominant types). Along with microclimates, the soils give the wines unique peculiarities and allow the making of a wide range of wines, different but with recognizable identities.

Buy these wines from their origin in our LUGARES FASCINANTES (Fascinating Places) Logroño, Alfaro, Haro y San Millán de la Cogolla.

More Information

C/Estambrera, 52

26006 – Logroño (LA RIOJA)

Tel: 941 500 400

Fax: 941 500 664

E-mail: info@riojawine.com

Rioja Wine Route

Images courtesy of © CVNE

Some Wineries

Beronia Wineries

CVNE Wineries

Cuna de Reyes Wineries

Dunviro Wineries

Familia Escudero Wineries

Olmaza Wineries

LAN Wineries

Muga Wineries

Perica Wineries

Generous

Fino, after the fermentation of the musts, eventually reaches 15% vol. alcohol. Favoring the veil "flower", the natural protection of these yeasts prevents oxidation during the ageing of wine and confers its organoleptic characteristics. It is a bright, straw-yellow to pale, golden wine. With delicate aromas, it is light and dry to the palate. It should be served very cold, between 7-9 ºC. Fino is a good choice with appetizers such as olives, nuts and Iberian ham. It is also a good accompaniment with seafood.

Amontillado, a complex wine derived from the union of two types of ageing, the biological and the oxidative, in the second will develop its final dark coloration. This gives it concentration and complexity. With an alcohol content between 16-22% vol., it is a topaz to amber colored wine. With a delicate aroma, it has a balanced acidity and is soft on the palate, highlighting a dry finish. It should be served at a temperature between 13-14 ºC, and it’s recommended to accompany soups and consommés, vegetables, white meats and semi-cured cheese.

Oloroso, increases its alcoholic strength to 17% vol. The development of the flower veil is prevented, so this exposed wine ages at all times to the slow action of oxygen through the traditional system of “criaderas and solera.” The alcohol content is between 17-22% vol., and it is an amber-to-mahogany colored wine, turning darker the longer it ages. With complex and potent aromas, it is tasty and soft on the palate. The recommended temperature of consumption is between 13-14 ºC. Suitable for red meat and game, it is recommended to accompany meat casseroles or stews, as well as very cured cheeses.

Palo cortado, obtained from extremely fine musts, gets its name from its identification process. When the tasters find a fino that can potentially become a Palo cortado, the barrels are identified with a "palo" a piece of wood or an oblique stripe/line. After two years it is checked to see if those distinctive characteristics of the young wine are confirmed, giving rise to a real Palo cortado. The color ranges from chestnut-brown to mahogany.  This wine has a great complexity, which combines the aromatic delicacy of an Amontillado and the intensity in the mouth of an Oloroso. Consume it at a temperature of 13-14 ºC. Palo cortado accompanies well-dried fruits or cured cheeses.

Generous Liquor

Pale Cream, made from Fino or Manzanilla (another sherry wine), adds concentrated musts to provide sweetness. Straw-yellow to pale gold in color, it is light and fresh with a sweet taste in the mouth. Pale cream should be served cold around 10 ºC, and it is a good accompaniment of foie and pâté.

Medium, utilizes Amontillado wine or oxidative ageing and is usually used in combination with natural sweet wines or concentrated must. This results in a wine that is the color of amber to dark chestnut, with aromas reminiscent of the wine Amontillado. When it enters a dry mouth, it ends in sweetness. Its recommended consumption temperature is between 12-14 ºC. It accompanies pâtés and specialized dishes.

Natural Sweets

Pedro Ximénez, a mahogany-colored wine with more or less intensity and visual sensation of great density, is made with sun-exposed grapes of the same name. It offers sweet aromas for the nose, and it is velvety and unctuous in the mouth. It should be served slightly chilled between 12-14 ºC, and it can be used as a dessert, although it goes well with ice cream or blue cheeses of great intensity.

Moscatel, is made from the grape of the same name after the “soleo” until achieving an intense dessication. It is a dense looking, chestnut-brown wine. The aromas are derived from the variety and sweetness to the palate. It should be served slightly chilled between 12-14 ºC. It is a good accompaniment with pastries (desserts not excessively sweet, such as fruit or ice cream.)

History

The cultivation of vines and the making of wines in the region of Jerez goes back to the time of the Phoenicians. The geographical location, close to the commercial ports of Cádiz or Sevilla, led to the frequent loading of local wines on ships that departed to both the Americas and the Northern European markets.

The production area includes the municipal places of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the city of Chipiona, Rota, Puerto Real, Chiclana de la Frontera and Lebrija. However, the upbringing is confined only to the first three. The vineyards are located on lands made up of limestone, clay and sand. This area has a climate of mild temperatures and high humidity, thanks to the presence of the Guadalquivir River, the Atlantic Ocean and the marsh.

Buy these wines from their origins in our LUGARES FASCINANTES: Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Chiclana de la Frontera, Chipiona y Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

More Information

Regulatory Council of the DO "Vinos de Jerez" and "Manzanilla"

Avda. Álvaro Domecq, 2

11402 – Jerez de la Frontera (CÁDIZ)

Tel: 956 332 050

Fax: 956 338 908

E-mail: vinjerez@sherry.org

Wine route and Sherry Brandy

Images courtesy of © CRDO Wines "Jerez-Xérès-Sherry" and "Manzanilla – Sanlúcar de Barrameda"

White Txakolí

Its colour goes from pale yellow to straw yellow, with possible bubbles. Fruity aroma, with nuances of herbs and flowers. Fresh in the mouth, with slight acidity, and persistent flavour. Ideal for aperitifs and to accompany cheeses and white fish, at 8 ° C and 10 ° C. It must be pointed out that the main white grape variety is Ondarribi Zuri, but Petit Courbu, Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, and Chardonnay are also authorized.

Rosé Txakolí

Red Txakolí

Red picota cherry color, with violet tones, and bubbles. Its smell is intense and vegetal. Fresh and acid taste. It is a great idea to accompany it with meat and vegetables, at 10ºC. The main and only authorized grape variety is the Ondarribi Beltza.

White and fermented in barrels Txakolí

History

However, when the 19th century came, and as happenend in a large part of Europe, vineyards suffered the attack of oidium, filoxera and mildiu plagues, so the production area was considerely reduced. thus, already in he 20th century the winemakers of the region joined efforts in order to achieve the resurgence of their wines. It was reflected in the certificate of origin of Arabako Txakolina-Txakolí of Álava-Chacolí in 2002.

The production area includes the municipalities of Amurrio, Artziniega, Ayala, Laudio and Okondo, in the province of Alava. Consequently, the vineyards are located in limestones lands and exposed to a climeate fundamentally Atlantic.

Buy with Certificate of Origin in our FASCINATING PLACES: Vitoria-Gasteiz, Salvatierra, Antoñana, Elciego, Gaceo-Alaiza, Quejana-Kexaa, Labastida, Laguardia, Llodio, Moreda de Álava, Salinas de Añana, Villanañe, Zalduondo.

More information

c/ Dionisio Aldama nº 7 · 1º D

01470 – Amurrio (ÁLAVA)

Tel: 656 789 372

Fax: 945 39 37 86

E-mail: merino@txakolidealava.com