The wine-growing region of Leon is located at the South of the province bearing the same name, at the North of Spain, close to the provinces of Valladolid and Zamora.
It occupies an area of about 3.300 square kilometres, approximately.
It has a small scale cultivation system where the vineyard occupies the poorest land and the cereal the most fertile and productive.
Its orography is formed by plains with very moderate slopes that scarcely mark the difference between plots of land and where the main differentiating factors are the soil and plantation density.
The average altitude is about 850 m above sea level.
Its soil is composed of a mixture of clay, limestone and riverbed gravel.
The region has a continental climate with cold and dry winters, warm summers without being excessively hot and rainfall of about 500 mm/year.
WINE-PRODUCING CONDITIONS
Two types of viniculture exist in this area. “Centennial plantations” with creeping vines planted at a rate of 1.200 vines /Ha that must necessarily be looked after by hand (of which Dominio Dostares retains most of its vineyards), and the modern “trellis” planted since 1998, easily machined, that give a much higher yield per plant and that are usually only used to produce scented and aromatic rosés.
The main varieties that cohabit in Bierzo are: Pireto Picudo and Mencia, as main reds and Verdejo, Albarín Blanco and Godello as the white varieties.
The main risks for the vine are usually fungal diseases and depending on the year, the spring ice, hailstone and frost.
The maximum performance per Ha is 8,000 Kg for red wines and Dominio Dostares never exceed 4,000 Kg/Ha.
