Castilla y León (Castilla and Leon in English), north of the Spanish capital Madrid, occupies the northern half of the central Iberian plateau and is the largest of the seventeen autonomous regions of the country. (Copyright material, Wine-Searcher) The historic university city of Valladolid is the provincial capital.
The unique geographical features of this vast land is what separates it from the other wine producing regions of Spain. Much of the land here is flat and mostly arid with a poor soil structure where the vine roots dig deep to gather vital nutrients. The Duero river, which runs through its wine regions, provides the much needed water supply to the vineyards. The climate is heavily influenced by the central mountains, as well as the Cordillera Cantábrica in the north that encircle the region creating rather harsh, almost continental type effects with dry hot summers followed by long, cold winters - conditions which impart plenty of character to the region's wines. The northern rain shadow effect by the Cordillera Cantábrica mitigates the cool maritime influence of the Atlantic Ocean and is most profound on the eastern DO (Denominacione de Origen) of Ribera del Duero, making it one of the premier red wine producing areas of the country. The Tempranillo grape (locally known as Tinta del País and Tinto Fino) produces some of the best examples of this variety here. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher)
Toro, near the Portuguese border is also renowned for it's robust reds made from Tempranillo (local name is Tinta de Toro). Castilla y León's famous whites, mostly from the Verdejo and Viura (Macabeo) grape varieties come from the Rueda whereas the region's fruity and refreshing rosé wines are produced in the Cigales DO.
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