Ribera del Duero DO

Surely more than once you have heard or read some news in which the Ribera del Duero Regulatory Council is mentioned, and it is likely that you have wondered what the function of this entity is. Well, in this article we are going to tell you what it is for, its history and some curiosity about the Regulatory Council.

What is the purpose of the D.O. Ribera del Duero?

First of all, the Regulatory Council endorses the authenticity of DO Ribera del Duero wines with its hallmark. This way, consumers can be sure that each of the bottles bearing a numbered back label has passed all the controls set by the Denomination of Origin.

These controls begin in the field, monitoring the maximum permitted production, which in the case of DO Ribera del Duero red wines must not exceed 7,000 kg of grapes per hectare. From there, at the moment of production, the authorized grape varieties are monitored and that the wines comply with the qualification process stipulated by the Regulatory Council.

Another of its most important tasks is the intense promotional activity it carries out, helping DO Ribera del Duero wineries to make themselves known, not only in our country, but also internationally. In addition to this, they collaborate in research with public and private entities for the qualitative improvement of the wines and vineyards in this area.

Ribera del Duero Regulatory Counsil: the origin

The first reference to a wine-producing society in these lands is found in the findings of the Vaccea culture, dating from the 6th century BC. located in the ancient city of Pintia (now Padilla de Duero, next to Peñafiel). On the other hand, in Baños de Valdearados (Burgos), there is a Roman mosaic of 66 square meters, which is considered to be the largest piece with allegories of the god Bacchus on the Peninsula. This representation of the god of wine is from the end of the 5th century AD. In other words, wine has been made in this area for more than 2,000 years.

Our Denomination of Origin arose thanks to the initiative of a group of viticulturists and winemakers whose objective was to promote the vineyards and the quality of the wine in the region. The Regulatory Council of the Ribera del Duero Denomination of Origin collects in its books the first Act of July 23, 1980, although at that time the nature of the body was still provisional. It was not until two years later, in July 1982, that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food granted the Denomination of Origin and approved its first DO Ribera del Duero Regulation.

DO Ribera del Duero in numbers

• More than 300 wineries and 2,300 brands
• Tempranillo grape as main variety 24,157 hectares of vineyard
• 7,900 winegrowers
• 4380 kilos on average per hectare in the last 10 years
• 80% of the harvest is done manually
• 9% of the vineyards are over 80 years old and almost a quarter are over 50 years old. Signature wines and Premium wines are born from these vineyards, which take advantage of the greater concentration and aromas provided by these oldest vineyards.

Which provinces are part of Ribera del Duero?

The DO Ribera del Duero map extends over four provinces of Castilla y León: Soria, Burgos, Valladolid and Segovia, along 110 km, covering a total of 118 localities. The headquarters of the Ribera del Duero Regulatory Council is located in the town of Roa, in a modern building that was inaugurated in 2011.

 

All the wines produced by Bodegas Resalte are protected under the Ribera del Duero D.O, which this year 2022 celebrates 40 years since its creation. Since then, new cultivation practices, the introduction of modern production technology and strict control systems have made the wine from this area synonymous with quality.