More wine day trips in Ribera del Duero

Valladolid

The capital of Castilla y Leon and Castile's former royal city sits at the western edge of the Ribera del Duero DO. The Museo Nacional de Escultura (polychrome religious sculpture) and the Plaza Mayor are central attractions. Valladolid has a serious wine culture: several wine bars and restaurants specialise in DO Ribera del Duero and the neighbouring DO Rueda whites. The annual Vino + Tapas event in May takes place on Calle Acera de Recoletos. Day-trip visitors commonly combine a winery visit on the 'Golden Mile' (Quintanilla de Onesimo - Pesquera corridor) with lunch or dinner in the city.

Pours: DO Ribera del Duero Reserva at city wine bars, DO Rueda Verdejo (neighbouring appellation)

Segovia

Segovia's Roman aqueduct (2,000-year-old engineering landmark, UNESCO Heritage) and the Alcazar castle combine with one of Spain's most celebrated food traditions: cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig).

Pours: DO Ribera del Duero (from Segovia sub-zone estates), Cochinillo asado paired with Ribera Crianza

Salamanca

Salamanca - the 'golden city' of warm sandstone cathedrals and one of Europe's oldest universities (founded 1218) - is a logical extension of a longer Ribera del Duero trip.

Pours: DO Toro and DO Ribera del Duero at Salamanca tapas bars

Madrid

Madrid is the natural urban terminus for a Ribera del Duero trip, reachable by direct bus (2-3 hours) or car from Aranda de Duero. The capital's wine bar scene is extensive, and numerous Ribera del Duero producers maintain Madrid relationships through hotel-restaurant accounts and specialist wine retailers. For dining, Madrid offers everything from classic Castilian cocido to Michelin-starred modern Spanish cooking. Wine-curious visitors can combine an afternoon at the Prado or Reina Sofia with an evening at one of Madrid's specialist Ribera del Duero wine bars.

Pours: DO Ribera del Duero by the glass at Madrid specialist wine bars, Jamón Iberico paired with Reserva

Soria and the Atauta Valley

The provincial capital of Soria is a gateway to the easternmost sub-zone of Ribera del Duero - the high-altitude Atauta valley where pre-phylloxera Tinto Fino vines, some 150-180 years old, survive on sandy soils that repelled the louse in 1909. The drive from Aranda along the N-122 follows the Duero river and passes through the heart of the DO. Soria itself is one of Spain's smallest provincial capitals with a well-preserved medieval centre. Dominio de Atauta and related old-vine producers can be visited; the Ruta del Vino lists approved cellar visits in the Soria sub-zone.

Pours: Dominio de Atauta old-vine Tinto Fino, DO Ribera del Duero Soria sub-zone wines

DO Toro

DO Toro in Zamora province is the westernmost major Tempranillo appellation on the Duero before it crosses into Portugal. The Toro clone of Tempranillo (Tinta de Toro) produces characteristically richer, more tannic wines than Ribera del Duero, with a distinctive mineral iron quality. Several prestigious Ribera producers also have Toro projects (Vega Sicilia's Pintia, Mariano Garcia's Mauro-dos). The town of Toro has a fine Romanesque collegiate church. A logical western extension for visitors tracing the full Duero wine corridor.

Pours: DO Toro Tinta de Toro (Bodega Numanthia, Pintia by Vega Sicilia), Ribera-Toro comparison tasting

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