- Arribes (DO)
The Arribes DO is located in the southeast of the province of Zamora and the northeast of the province of
Salamanca (Castile and Leon ,Spain ), along the border withPortugal on the banks of the RiverDuero . There are 750 ha of vineyards registered with the "Consejo Regulador" (Governing Body).In 2002 the area covered by the DO along with parts of Portugal on the opposite bank was declared a National Park (
Parque Nacional de Arribes del Duero ).History
There are two theories regarding the origins of winemaking in the Arribes region. The first says that it was the ancient Romans who introduced grape-growing and wine-making. The second theory says it could have been the
Phoenicians at a much earlier date, making use of their fleets along theDuero and the port ofOporto .In 1998 the area was awarded the category of
Vino de la Tierra and on 27 July 2007 it was awarde the higher category ofDenominación de Origen .The name Arribes derives from the Latin "ad ripam", which means 'on the banks' (of the river Duero).
Climate
The area enjoys a
Mediterranean climate with Atlantic influences. rainfall is evenly spready over the year. Summers tend to be warm and dry while winters are mild.oils
The soils are not deep, mostly sandy with loose
granite andquartz pebbles. There are many rocky outcrops and the soils is generally poor in organic matter.The subsoil provides good drainage, and an interesting heat regulation mechanism. The presence of
slate in the subsoil acts as a heat accumulator during the day and releases it slowly during the night.Vineyards
The vines are mostly old vines (65 years on average) and so are mostly grown as low bushes ("en vaso"), though recently planted ones tend to be on trellises ("en espaldera"). Average yield is 3,500 kg/ha, or about 1.5 kg/vine.
Grape Varieties
The authorized red varieties are:
*Juan García (a local autoctonous variety)
*Rufete
*Tempranillo (known asTinta Serrana orTinto Madrid locally)
*Garnacha
*Mencía The authorized white varieties are:
*Malvasía
*Verdejo
*Albillo The Governing Body of the DO is currently debating whether to authorize
Bruñal andBastardillo Chico (red), andPuesta en Cruz (white).Wines Produced
* Tinto joven (young reds): made mainly with
Juan García ,Rufete andTempranillo
* Tinto Crianza (oak aged reds): at least 6 months in oak, plus 18 months in bottle
* Rosado (rosé): at least 60%Juan García ,Rufete andTempranillo
* Blanco (white): at least 60%Malvasía References
http://www.vinoarribesduero.com
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