Toro

The specification traces vines in the area to Phoenicians and Greeks; Greek writers describe the Vaccaei of the Duero basin as growers of vines, and the Visigoths settled the "Campi Gothorum" or fields of Toro. Planting is documented from the eleventh century, during the Reconquest. In 1208 King Alfonso IX of León gave 20 aranzadas of vines at Toro to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The Archpriest of Hita mentions Toro's vineyards, and in 1340 Alfonso XI granted the wine a privilege. The Catholic Monarchs won the battle of Toro in 1476 among the vines of Valdefama and restricted planting rights in 1504. In the nineteenth century the vineyard expanded, peaking with exports to France during the phylloxera crisis. Toro appears in the Wine Statute of 1933, a viticulture station worked there from 1914 to 1937, and the designation of origin was recognised by order of 29 May 1987.

The zone lies at the western end of Castilla y León, in south-east Zamora, across the natural districts of Tierra del Vino, Valle del Guareña and Tierra de Toro, and covers 62,000 ha. Two municipalities of Valladolid and the Villaester estates of a third are included. The Duero and its tributaries the Talanda, Guareña and Hornija shape a gentle relief of valleys and terraces. Vineyards lie between 620 and 840 m, highest in the south-west.

Soils come from Pliocene sandstones, clays and calcareous conglomerates, which form brown calcareous soils, and from Miocene silts, sandstones, limestones and detrital marls. They are sandy-loam, with under 1% organic matter, pH 6-7 (about 8 in the south-west) and poor in trace elements except iron. The climate is continental, extreme and semi-arid with Atlantic influence: 350-400 mm of rain, a mean of 12-13 °C, extremes from -11 to 37 °C, frequent spring frost, 2,600 to 3,000 hours of sun and day-night swings above 15 °C in ripening.

The specification links cold winters, many hours of sun and extreme temperatures, which limit yields, and the light soils to the aroma, structure and high alcohol of the wines. It attributes their very high colouring matter to the iron in the soil and the age of the vines: more than half the vineyard is over 40 years old and some is pre-phylloxera. Compared with wines of similar grapes from neighbouring zones, Toro wines are described as more structured, with more polyphenols and tannin, less acidity, higher pH and riper fruit. Growers match grape to soil: Tinta de Toro on stony surfaces over clay, Malvasía Castellana and Garnacha on sandy ground. The rules describe Tinta de Toro as ampelographically and genetically similar to Tempranillo but less productive, more tannic, richer in potassium, less acid and with slightly coloured pulp when ripe.

Principal grapes are Tinta de Toro among reds and Malvasía Castellana (Doña Blanca) and Verdejo among whites. Secondary grapes are Garnacha Tinta, Moscatel de Grano Menudo and Albillo Real. Red wine is made from Tinta de Toro and/or Garnacha Tinta with up to 15% other permitted varieties; a varietal label needs at least 85% of the named grape. White wine uses only Malvasía Castellana, Verdejo, Moscatel de Grano Menudo and Albillo Real. Rosados use principal and secondary grapes, and rosé sparkling wine needs at least 25% red grapes. The zone also makes semi-sweet and sweet wines and quality sparkling wines.

Aged reds may carry the traditional terms Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva under the general legislation, and wines may be labelled "Roble" or "Fermentado en barrica". The ageing zone is the same as the production zone.