Castile and Leon

Castile and Leon is the largest of the 17 administrative regions of Spain (the so-called Autonomous communities), located in the Northern part of the Iberian Peninsula.

Takes almost a fifth of the country and stretches 355 km from Madrid to Galicia and almost the same from Rioja to the border with Portugal. Has no regional appellation (DO), but is home to a number of important subregional.

Although the region’s economy has traditionally relied mainly on the cultivation of cereals, wine making in this part of Spain was a notable part of it for over 2000 years. In the late 20th – early 21st century the area of vineyards has declined sharply, and focus has shifted from quantity to quality of the wine.

Today Castile-Leon is among the suppliers of the best wines of Spain. This, in particular, the wines from Toro, Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Bierzo.

The region was formed in 1983 by the merger of the historical provinces of Castilla La Vieja and león, becoming the center around which formed the modern Spanish state. The current capital of Spain – Madrid – was part of the province of Castilla La Vieja.

But Castille and león is interesting not only in this modern political context. The rich cultural past of the region goes back centuries for millennia, as reflected in the fact that there are six cultural heritage sites of UNESCO, such as the medieval fortifications of Avila, the Roman aqueduct in Segovia and the archaeological site Atapuerca teeming with artifacts of the Bronze and Stone ages.

It is assumed that winemaking in this region even preceded the Roman rule, which began in the 1st century BC.

The climate of Castile-león has a strong continental influence, despite the proximity of the Atlantic. A hot, dry summer gives way to biting cold here in the winter, when the temperature easily falls significantly below zero. Vnutrimatocny fluctuations is also not weak, which plays a critical role in the style of the local wines: the cool nights refresh the vines after the long hot days.

The region is protected from the marine influence of the Cantabrian mountains, which separates it from the Bay of Biscay. On the other side of the mountain chain lie in the regions of Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country, whose rolling green landscapes, cool climate and fertile lands in stark contrast to the hot plains of Castile and león.

Separating between the Cantabrian mountains and the Central Cordillera, Castille and león occupies a vast plateau 200 km in length, at altitudes from 700m to 1000m above sea level. Naturally, with a small amount of rainfall, the soil layer here is thin and poor. Although the banks of rivers it is richer in minerals and alumina. The most significant of them – the Duero river, which continues its course in Portugal under the name of Douro, and in whose valleys are the best vineyards of Castilla-Leon.

Of 9 zones DO of Castile and Leon, 8 are located near rivers flowing eventually into the Douro. It is not surprising that the most esteemed appellations (Toro, Rueda, Ribera del Duero) which is located directly on the banks of this great river. The exclusion of Bierzo in the North-Western edge of the region, whose wines are closer in style to the neighboring Galicia.

In Castilla-león, the ball is ruled by red wine. But from grapes of the king, without any doubt, is the Tempranillo, also known under the local names of Tinta del Pais, Tinto Fino and Tinto de Toro. The exception again is Bierzo, which is very well the variety Mencia.

White wines of Castile-Leon are a much smaller part of total output, but not much behind them in terms of prestige. The main varieties of Verdejo and viura (macabeo).

The success of the key appellations of Castile and Leon in the international market has significantly improved the reputation of the wine region. Stars such as Vega Sicilia, Numanthia-Termes, Campo Eliseo and Bodega Palacios Remondo zlorove spurred the modernization of the sector and drew attention to local wines.

Source: portal Wine-Searcher