Toro

The origins of Toro wines date back to before the Roman colonization of Spain. In the Middle Ages and later, Toro wines filled the royal cellars and ships bound for the New World. In the 19th century, large quantities were exported to France to make up for the deficit left by phylloxera. In 1987, the appellation was granted regulated protection with the award of the famous "Denominación de Origen" label.

The Toro wine region is located in the southeast of the province of Zamora, in the west of the Castile and León region. The wine production area governed by the DO Toro covers 62,000 hectares. The soil consists of sediments, clay, and limestone conglomerates. The climate of the Toro appellation is continental, extremely dry and influenced by the Atlantic.

The typical grape variety ofthe Toro appellation is Tinta de Toro, which is mainly used to make red wines with Grenache. These wines can be Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva depending on their age and the length of time they are aged in oak barrels. The white wines of Toro mainly use Verdejo and Malvasía grapes. The appellation also produces rosé wines made from half Grenache and half Tinta de Toro. The strength and richness of Toro wines can be appreciated by tasting the vintages from Bodegas Liberalia, Sobreno, or Elias Mora.