Physical features D.O Toro

Location

Zamora's county is located in the Western end Region of “Castilla y León”. The production region of Denomination Origins of Toro is located at Southeast of Zamora's County. Surrounding part of natural Districts of “Tierra del Vino”, “Valle de Guareña” and “Tierra de Toro” and abut to the moors of “Tierra del Pan” and “Tierra de Campos”.

Four rivers have modelled the embossment of this meadow, originating a smoothly wavy land with very slight slopes, oscillating altitude between 650 and 735 m. without orientation problems in the plateaus where plantations are settle. These rivers are:

The River “Duero”, is the most important.
The River “Guareña”, flowing of the previous one.
“Talada” which reflects almost parallel to the previous one
The River “Hornija”, on the northwest, also ends at “Duero”.

Production region of D.O. Toro is almost inside the named Agrarian District of “Bajo Duero."

Soil - Farmlands

The soil is formed by elements coming from decomposition and segregation of gritty, clays and calcareous Pliocene pudginess which have originated brown calcareous soils on unconsolidated material.

Farmlands where most of the vineyards are settle, belong to the Tertiary Era, Palaeontology Time (Eocene-Oligocene), being Eocene in the right part of river Duero.

There are sandy, slight texture soils, increasing in depth the content in fine elements. The quantities of thick elements, crushed stones, are variable and are abnormally disseminated by zones. Can be considered lands which are easy to work, warm and originate a progress of ripening.

Nevertheless, there are no extreme values of all analyzed variables, changing from some zones to others, neither problem exist as for salinity of land, neither for active limestone. We have to highlight that due to the features from lands of the District of Toro, there are no problems of Phylloxera.

Climatology

There is an extreme and continental climate, with Atlantic influences, with an oscillation of half temperature from summer to winter of 18ºC.

In harmony with these features, vegetative cycle of vine is about 230 days, giving bigger quantity of alcohol and colour to the fruit, but constant less acidity. The scarcely rain and aridity avoid a great production and a bigger proof grading of wines.

All these climatic conditions, an extreme cold in winter, great number of hours of sun, lack of environmental dampness, etc., gives an exceptional quality to grape, which is primordial for the elaboration of good wines. "In Toro cold leaves before."