Arlanza and Global Warming - The New Ribera del Duero

Global warming is changing viticulture and moving green frontiers all around the world. The average temperature raise is shortening the developing periods of the grape with harvests occurring even two months earlier in some cases. Areas that were considered optimal for the development of quality grapes are experiencing over-maturation issues, forcing winemakers to acidify their wines to maintain freshness and tension. This is the case of Ribera del Duero in Spain, for example, with harvests now as early as the end of August in some cases. Other areas that have historically suffered to experience a good warm year are now getting excellent vintages every year, as is the case of Champagne in France.
But the most interesting cases are those areas that have always been so cold that obtaining optimal fruit with concentration and sugar enough to produce complex wines was as a result of exceptionally good-weather years. Some of these are now starting to take the wine scene with intrepid winemakers producing exceptional wines. This is definitively the case of sparkling wines from England, that start rivaling with the best Champagnes thanks to the climate change.

In Spain the example is Arlanza, name coming from the river that crosses the denomination from east to west before dying into the Duero river. With the same extension of Ribera del Duero and right north of it, it only has a couple dozen wineries. Being slightly north and at a higher elevation, Arlanza has been always substantially colder than its neighbor Ribera del Duero. Indeed, the area ranks as the coldest region of the Iberian Peninsula. But the climate change has done its magic and now Arlanza experiences the climate that Ribera once had and a few outstanding winemakers are producing wines in modern Atlantic styles that will soon become the gems of the Spain wine scene.

We visited Arlanza in December 2022 and chat with some of the viticulturists in the area. Watch them talk about their way of leaving and their love for the land. We are lucky to count with some wines of the top two producers in the denomination, Septién and Sabinares. You don't want to be the last to try their wines!