The DO area named after the city of the same name (Toro = bull) is located in the northern Spanish region of
Castilla y León not far from the Portuguese border. The DO
Rueda borders to the east, the big river Duero crosses both areas. Toro is also known as "Tierra del Pan" (Land of Bread) because of the huge wheat fields. The vineyards cover about 4,000 hectares and are mostly located in the valleys of the Guareña at an altitude of 600 to 750 meters above sea level. Already in the 13th century, monks cultivated vines here. In 1215, the first Spanish university was moved to the city of Salamanca (outside the DO) in the south (from Palencia), which gave a great boost to viticulture. The professors, students and not least the church princes and the Spanish court held this wine in high esteem. The area is named after the town of the same name, which is situated on a rocky hill on the banks of the Duero.
The autochthonous red grape variety
Tinta de Toro (original form of Tempranillo), which grows only here, occupies 70% of the vineyard area, the rest is planted with the red Garnacha Tinta and the white varieties Malvasia and Verdejo. The red wines, which are mostly aged in barriques, must contain at least 75% Tinta del Toro, but they are mostly produced as single-variety wines. The deep dark, extract-rich wines have strong but soft tannins. Due to the warm, dry climate, the grapes reach maximum ripeness and thus the wines with natural fermentation up to 15% vol alcohol content. Due to the quality of the wines from
Ribera del Duero and
Priorato, the Toro red wines are called "Spanish wine miracle". The rosé and white wines, also classified as DO, are only produced in very small quantities and should be drunk rather young.
