Ribera del Duero is one of Spain's top regions when it comes to quality. It's around a third of the size of Rioja by volume sales but recognised globally for its rich, full-bodied character. However, that's not what the world is drinking. These styles have lost favour to fresher, fruit-forward whites and rosés, leaving Ribera with a difficult decision – stick with its recognised style, or adapt to modern expectations.
The percentile split of domestic sales to exports is around 80-20 and according to the Consejo Regulador de la Ribera del Duero, 92.4 million bottles were sold in 2025 – a 1.6% increase on the previous year.
The Portia winery was opened in 2010 and remains at the forefront of modern winemaking in the region. Its range includes eight Ribera del Duero reds typical of the region with intense cherry and balsamic flavours generated by a combination of thick-skinned Tempranillo and exposure to oak.
“Ribera is doing very well domestically,” says Francisco Honrubia, managing director of Familia Martínez Zabala. “In Madrid and southern Spain it sells better than Rioja. But because of its 30% price (above Rioja) it’s more difficult to sell overseas. Therefore we need to establish the DO internationally in order to make consumers better understand the region.
“Ribera del Duero compared to Rioja in the domestic market right now is like heaven and hell. In Ribera we’re very positive about the sales and the harvest, but it’s the opposite for Rioja.”
Perelada is a brand best known for its Empordà wines in the north east of Spain, but after acquiring 45ha in the ‘magic triangle’ of La Horra, Anguix and Roa, it launched the first vintage of Salvio a couple of years ago. The wine is a blend of mostly Tempranillo with some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which is targeting the new wave of consumers with an approach towards fresher, fruitier wines.
“The vineyards are in the ‘magic Triangle’ of Ribera so there would have been no point in selling our grapes to the major brands in the region when we can produce our own quality wines,” says David González, head winemaker.
“We wanted to avoid the classic style from the region which is very structured, wood forward and high alcohol, and produce fresher and fruitier wines. There’s no point in bringing a new brand to the market with a classic style. We just had a meeting with the owner of Canete, one of Barcelona’s most famous restaurants, who is selling 80 bottles a week. And that’s a place full of young people which is exciting to us.”
With two wines in the new portfolio, González stressed the fact the brand is focused on consolidating their presence before thinking about expanding with more varieties.
Rosado
What the majority of consumers don’t know, especially those outside Spain, is that Ribera del Duero also produces rosé, called rosado. The success of Provençal pale rosé is one of the shining beacons among the wider downturn of still wines, with its easy-drinking style appealing to younger consumers. But these dry and pale wines couldn’t be further from the darker, richer and flavourful rosado from Ribera del Duero. They use majority Tempranillo but can also use other red varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec or Garnacha Tinta. The main difference aside from grape varieties is the thick skin caused by high altitude, which results in full-flavoured rosados that often undergo ageing in oak to add further complexity.
Protos, one of the region’s oldest and most prominent producers, has its Clarete rosado, which undergoes a four-hour cold maceration with ageing on fine lees for about two months and constant batonnage. Familia Torres has its Pago del Cielo winery which produces Celeste Rosé using Tempranillo plots of at least 40 years old. Juvé & Camps, famous for its sparkling wines, bought its Pagos de Anguix winery in Ribera del Duero in 2018 with, in the words of technical director José Hidalgo Camacho, “the ambition to become a top 10 brand in the region”. From its 90ha it produces a rosado from Tinto Fino and Albillo Mayor which is macerated in stainless steel tanks without any ageing. Design-wise, the bottle fits in the Provençal style but the colour is unmistakably Ribera.
Familia Martínez Zabala’s Honrubia adds: “The problem with rosés from Ribera del Duero is that you can’t replicate the style of those from Provence. We actually used to produce one ourselves, but the value wasn’t there in the long term. It’s true that the rosés from Ribera are full of flavour and more complex, but in the current market it’s difficult to place these wines.”
Marqués de Cáceres, one of Rioja's most prominent names, also has its La Capilla brand in Ribera del Duero which it acquired in 2019. The winery, Finca la Capilla, produces a range of reds with plans to launch a white next year, as well as its Ánfora Rosé. This wine undergoes minimal maceration and is aged for four months in new French oak barrels to add complexity.
“We deliberately use the La Capilla brand without any mention of Marqués de Cáceres, to avoid any confusion or association with Rioja,” says David Losantos, director of Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres. “We have 65ha dedicated to Ribera production but rosé only makes up a small part of this, which is all sold in the on-trade. It’s true that we sell every bottle we make, but we aren’t looking to expand this right now because our other wines are performing well."
There appears to be a difference in approach to producing wines in Ribera del Duero. Some are trying to appeal to the masses and current trends, others are producing wines unmistakably of the region and rosados are a prime example. Of course, the pale rosés of southern France are en vogue right now, but trends aren’t permanent and perhaps as those consumers look for more complexity, Ribera del Duero's rich rosados could be in a prime position to benefit.
