In the land of Castilla y León, Spain, in the northwestern part, you can find the wine producing region of Toro. Although not as famous as its neighboring region of Ribera del Duero, wine has been produced in Toro since the Middle Ages. The main grape of the region is Tinta de Toro which is a native version of Tempranillo. The D.O. of Toro was established in 1987 but many say it is now starting to hit its stride.
An important winery in this rebirth is Hacienda Terra d’Uro. The project is spearheaded by restaurateur Oscar Garrote, seasoned winemaker Pipa Ortega and one of the Douro Valley’s most recognized winemakers, Cristiano van Zeller. The group decided to name the winery Terra d’Uro to pay homage to the history of the region as the Uro, the animal that preceded the Toro (Bull), roamed free in this region many years ago. Hence the name “Land of the Uro” or in today’s terms “Land of the Toro”.
Determined to make wines that reflect the terroir of the region, the team purchased centenary pre-phylloxera vineyards with vines grown in the traditional bush style. This bet has paid off big as the wines have been well received by customers and critics alike, a feat hard to achieve. Aside from their top scoring Tinta de Toro wines, the winery also makes a fresh and fruit forward Garnacha, a Rosado and a Verdejo.
Made with fruit from old Tinta de Toro vines from Finca La Coscojosa, their flagship wine Uro, happens to be our favorite. To produce this wine, hand picked grapes are fermented in 500 liter new oak barrels. After fermentation the barrels are emptied and cleaned. Once they are clean, the juice is put back into the same barrel to age for 20 months. The quality of the grapes, along with the craftsmanship and attention to detail throughout this process, produces a wine that is both elegant and bold. We are also big fans of La Enfermera. A wine aged approximately only three months in oak barrels that is round and juicy. We have found it to be a great companion for pizza and burgers.
If you are looking to explore the wines of Toro, we believe the wines from Hacienda Terra d’Uro will give you a good reference of how special this region is.