Ribera del Duero to become DOCa – WHOooPEEE
Upon being awarded DOCa certification, the northern region will join the ranks of Rioja and Priorat – the only other two regions to currently hold this status.
Ok, so I’m a day late on this, having just arrived back from the Alicante region in Spain, currently ecstatic for its progressive movement over the past 20 years from a renown bulk wine region to a quality wine region. And unlike Ribera del Duero, it isn’t striving to reach DOCa status.
I suppose it was inevitable for Ribera del Duero to move up, but I really don’t think it matters much to the consumer, confident in the quality of their wines despite their new qualification. Additional regulations will not guarantee an improvement in their wine. Instead, it may potentially lead consumers to rely on the name, rather than on the innovation of the region. I love Peter Sisseck’s (Dominio de Pigus) quote at the end of the article: ‘I’ve never needed regulations to sell my wines,’ he said.
With more and more wineries moving to work outside of the DO system, you wonder who is in charge of making the decisions. I, for one, could care less.
And on top of the additional meaningless status, how ironic to announce this while there are still plans to drive a major highway through the region’s heart! What will happen if the road is approved and leads to road workers ripping up some of the most prestigious vines grown here? Can they rescind the DOCa rating? Maybe the DO should be spending their time making sure that the region stays intact instead of wasting time trying to prove that they make good wine. We already know this!
Stay tuned! There is lots to come as I write up my stories from Alicante!
Cheers, Ryan
