“Ribera del Duero wines took 91 gongs in the 2011 decanter World Wine awards and,else where in the world, gold medal satthe Concours Mondiale de bruxelles in Luxembourg, Sélections Mondiales des Vins in Canada, and Monde Selecciónin belgium,consolidating the region’s position as a producer of world-class quality reds. A combination of high-altitude vineyards, active chalk in the soils and massive inward investment have propelled Ribera del duero to stardom. But the one thing that winemakers can’t control is the weather. Frost is always a risk, with a maximum of only 138 frost-free days a year. There is little margin for error during the ripening season, and the high altitude which gives that purity of expression to the Tempranillo grape can turn vicious to wards october. The DO was awarded in 1982, when the region had just nine bodegas–including Vega Sicilia – but its first world wide prominence came in the mid 1980’s