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📍 Ribera del Duero

Appellation ✔ Checked: 10.2026 · sources: 6 Updated:

The high Duero valley with powerful red wines.

Ribera del Duero is a wine zone in Castilla y León, Spain. It stretches for about 115 kilometres along the Duero river upstream from the city of Valladolid and is up to 35 kilometres wide. Most of the vineyards lie in the province of Burgos. The appellation (DO) was founded on 21 July 1982.

The vineyards sit at an altitude of 750 to 911 metres. Summers are long and dry, with heat reaching 40 degrees, and winters are harsh, so the vine grows in tough conditions. This gives rich red wines. Rainfall is low, around 450 millimetres a year.

The wines here are almost exclusively red. The main grape is Tinto Fino, the local name for Tempranillo; sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot are added, and the white Albillo Mayor is allowed in small shares. Rosés are made too. Famous producers include Vega Sicilia and Pesquera; the former was long regarded as the benchmark, and Pesquera showed that a wine from Tempranillo alone could be great.

Ribera del Duero lies not far from the Cigales zone: in both the main grape is Tempranillo, but Ribera concentrates on powerful reds.

On the map: Ribera del Duero
kind of📍Castile and Leóngrows in🍇Albillo Mayorgrows in🍇Albillomain grape of🍇Tempranillomakes🍷Red winemakes🍷Rosémakes🍷Still wine📍towardia.com
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How it connects to Wine

📍 Ribera del Duero ← grows in ← 🍇 Tempranillo → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine

Part of
📍 Castile and León
Grapes
🍇 Tempranillo, 🍇 Albillo Mayor, 🍇 Albillo
Main grapes
🍇 Tempranillo
Wines
🍷 Red wine, 🍷 Rosé, 🍷 Still wine

Frequently asked questions

Where is Ribera del Duero?

In Castilla y León, Spain, along the Duero river upstream from Valladolid; the main part is in the province of Burgos.

Which grape is the main one in Ribera del Duero?

Tinto Fino, the local name for Tempranillo.

When was the appellation founded?

On 21 July 1982.

What to read next

  • 🍇 Albillo — A white Spanish grape grown in Ribera del Duero and Madrid.
  • 🍷 Still wine — Ordinary wine without carbon dioxide bubbles.

Similar

📍 Cigales · 📍 Toro · 📍 Bierzo · 📍 Rueda · 📜 Arlanza · 📜 Valtiendas

⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.

Sources

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