A beacon of Spanish viticultural fortitude, Ribera del Duero is a prolific wine in existence since the Roman Empire over 2,000 years ago. While continuing to place Spanish wines at the forefront of the marketplace with offerings that have been qualified by the most stringent of standards, the region has become a revered powerhouse of Spanish winemaking precedents.

While Ribera del Duero’s wine heritage first began with the Romans, new vineyards were cultivated by ecclesiastical orders like the Cistercians and the Benedictines in the middle ages, which helped to bring about a rebirth of winemaking in the region. By the 13th century, winemaking began to spread amongst the lay people of the region and cellars were constructed underground to protect aging wines from harsh temperatures. Outfitted with chimneys to aid in the protection of the wine, they have come to symbolize the early wine producing techniques indicative of Ribera. As ingrained into the culture of the area as the breathtaking castles that sit perched atop its many plateaus, the production of wine has become the symbolic and economic identity of the region. Winemaking brought about lucrative trade with other cities in Spain, positioning Ribera as a preeminent appellation and resulting in its vintages being exported throughout the Spanish Empire during the golden age of the 17th and 18th centuries. Prolific production and highly esteemed wines transcended into Ribera becoming the first zone to institute quality standards for its wines prior to Spain’s formalized D.O. classification. The Ribera Del Duero D.O. wine producing zone spans from near the town of Aranda de Duero in the Burgos province to Valladolid in the west, and then to San Esteban de Gormaz in the east.