Ribera del Duero is one of the most celebrated red wine regions in Spain; it is located in the north central section of the country. While vineyards have been planted in this territory for thousands of years, the designation of this area as an official wine region (a D.O or Denominacion de Origen) was created in the 1970s.

Ribera del Duero wines are made primarily from the Tinto Fino grape, the local name for Tempranillo. While a few examples are 100% Tinto Fino, most offerings include other varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and/or Malbec.

As with Rioja, there are different levels of aging; these wines are designated as crianza (two years aging with at least 12 months in oak), riserva (three years aging, minimum 12 months in oak) and Gran Riserva (five years aging, minimum 3 years in oak.)

These wines are among the richest and most forward reds in Spain and influential wine critics such as Robert Parker celebrated these wines, awarding them scores in the mid 90s on his 100-point scale. Deeply colored with ripe blackberry and black cherry fruit with notes of tobacco, bacon and eucalyptus, there is generally ample oak along with rich tannins. The Riservas and Gran Riservas, offer great complexity and can drink well for up to twenty years. Pair these wines with most wild game, grilled pork, roast veal and most red meats.