Arlanza (DO)
Arlanza is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) located in the provinces of Burgos and Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. It was officially upgraded from the lower status of QWPSR (VCPRD in Spanish) on 24 January 2008. The DO covers 67 municipalities (54 in the province of Burgos and 13 in the province of Palencia). There are 9 wineries (bodegas) from Burgos registered and 2 from Palencia. The DO takes its name from the river Arlanza which flows through it.
History
The first written evidence of wine production in this area comes from the 12th century, when the monastery of Santa María de Bujedo de Juarros purchased vineyards on the banks of the rivers Arlanza and Duero.
When the phylloxera virus devastated the vineyards of Europe at the end of the 19th century, almost all the vineyards in this area were uprooted and replanted by grafting onto American rootstock. By the 1920s the replanting had been completed.
Climate
The climate is continental, with long hot, dry summers and cold winters. In addition there is a sharp contrast between the daytime and night-time temperatures.
Grapes
The authorized white varieties are Albillo and Viura while the authorized red varieties are Tinta del País, Garnacha, Mencía, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
The minimum planting density is 2,000 vines/ha, whether planted as low individual vines (en vaso) or on trellises (en espaldera).
The maximum permitted yields are 10,000 kg/ha for white varieties, and 7,000 kg/ha for red varieties.