Designated
Region
Before
the arrival of Romans to Zamora’s lands, residents
from District of Toro already elaborated wines very appraised
in the Peninsula and in the Mediterranean basin.
Wines from Toro had such prestige that King Alfonso IX
of León granted privileges for its production in
the XII century.
In XIV century, Seville prohibited the entry of any wine
to the city, with exception of ones that came from Toro.
The wine that Columbus took into the expedition to Discovery
America in 1492 was from Toro, given that their structure
and body tolerated long voyages; Brother Diego de Deza,
native of Zamora and one of Isabel's "The Catholic”
confessors, economically collaborated in such expedition,
and because of this, they allowed to put the name to one
of the Caravels; this was “La Pinta”, given
that was a measure of wine in Toro.
At the end of XIX century, big remittances of wine from
the District of Toro were exported to France and were
desolated by the plague of Phylloxera.
Already in XX century many viticulture Spanish regional
districts bought grape from Toro to elaborate wines of
good quality.
As for a brief historical journey to essentially remember,
that viticulture tradition from District of Toro even
goes back before the Roman dominance, continuing tradition
of selling wines outside borders during XII and XIII centuries,
proposal for assignment of actual privileges to these
wines, up to point that King of Leon Alfonso IX waived
the lands of Toro to the capital of Compostela for production
of these valuable wines. Such was the quality that during
the XIV century and by king's command, entry of any strange
wine was prohibited in Seville to the exception of those
from Toro. There where wines which participated in the
discovery of America, and their capacity was known to
conserve high graduation throughout the voyage. During
XIX century a great quantity of wine was exported from
Toro to France, which was affected by the Phylloxera plague.
During the XX century, there where many Viticulture Regional
Districts, which bought grape from Toro in order to elaborate
good quality wines.
The Denomination of Origin of these wines from Toro is
recent, starting at mid year 70, when worked in Specific
Denomination, previous to the achievement of absolute
Denomination of Origin May 29 1987. The Spanish legislation
understands for Denomination of Origin (D.O.) geographical
name of area, district, place or town used to designate
a product coming from vine, wine or alcohols of respective
meadow, when there have qualities and differential due
characters to natural means, elaboration and vintage.
The Denomination Quality Wines Produced in Certain Areas
(V.C.P.R.D.) make reference to all the Spanish wines that
regulatory community scheme recognizes as Quality Wines,
produced, protected and marketed by Origin Denominations