The production of wine in Spain dates back to the Roman Empire, including the production of wine in the actual Ribera del Duero region. During the 12th century, the Monks of Cluny discovered an incredible spot in Ribera del Duero called Valbuena del Duero, a small city gifted with a rich relief and a very diverse soil, composed of a mix of silty sand or clay, limestone, and calcareous rock.
For a long time, Ribera del Duero, and the entire country, operated under the world’s radar, producing wine for the local market and without surrendering to modern times.
In the nineteenth century, the work of a true pioneer, the Lecanda family, began what would be a change for Ribera del Duero. The Lecanda family founded a winery on the banks of the Duero River. In its vineyards, they used international grape varieties, something very unusual in Spain at the time. They planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec. Soon, those vineyards began to produce an exceptional wine, which would come to be known as Vega Sicilia.
After centuries of producing wines, Ribera del Duero, and Vega Sicilia, could show their face to the world due to the work of Alejandro Fernández, an agricultural engineer and winemaker who put the region on the map by introducing new techniques and creating powerful Tempranillos and the first wine called “Reserva” in Ribera del Duero. This was the first statement toward the creation of the appellation Ribera del Duero D.O. in 1982.
Today, Vega Sicilia is the most prestigious winery in Spain, crafting wines in several regions such as Rioja and Toro, but it is unquestionable that it finds its home in Ribera del Duero, creating the gems Valbuena 5 and Único, the best expressions of the Tempranillo grape in the region.
