Ribera del Duero wine making extends back over 2,000 years, as evidenced by the 66-metre mosaic of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, that was unearthed in 1972, at Baños de Valdearados.
The vineyards at Hoya de Cadenas have a 200 hectare area, being Vallejo Arroyo and Chacelas the most attractive zones with their clayey soil that produce wines and grapes from different Appelations of Origin including Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvingnon Blanc and Bobal – symbol of Utiel-Requena Appelation of Origin.
In Portugal, Grand Noir de la Calmette is found mostly in the Portalegre wine region of Alentejo where it is blended with Alicante Bouschet, Tempranillo and Trincadeira.
In the 21st century, the University of La Rioja and the Agricultural Research and Development Centre (CIDA) worked with local wineries (such as Viña Ijalba) to help revive and establish native grape varieties such as Tempranillo.
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Tempranillo blanco was discovered in 1988 by a wine grower in a Tempranillo vineyard near Murillo de Río Leza in the La Rioja province of northern Spain.