IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Castilla y Léon
Wines for food and family: Castilla y Léon at Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC 2026
From rich reds to crisp whites
D
Situated in northwestern Spain, Castilla y Léonis spans 94,000km2 – larger than either Hungary or Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores) and is about the same size as the state of Indiana in the US.
In wine terms, Castilla y Léon has an even bigger pedigree. It is Spain’s oldest wine appellation (Denominaciones de Origen, or DO), and its 15 sub-regions include the country’s most prestigious, such as Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro.
It’s this diversity of regions, terroirs and wine styles – and enviable concentration of old vines – that made the Castilla y Léon regional stand at the recent Decanter Fine Wine Encounter in New York City such a drawcard for the 500 visitors.
'Castilla y Léon has something for everyone – and that’s the same when it comes to pairing the region’s wines with food.'
The Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC 2026
EVENT PHOTOS: Alfonso Lozano
Published 26th June 2026
Where else to get an in-depth appreciation of two of the different ageing categories of Ribera del Duero wines, made from Tinto Fino, aka Tempranillo.
At one table visitors could taste three Cosechas (bold, fruit-driven reds with little or no time in oak barrels) and two Crianzas (still youthful, but more complex and firm with a minimum of two years’ ageing, one in oak the other in bottle).
Meanwhile, Toro and its Tinto Fino was represented by Bodegas Frutos Villar’s Reserva 2016, which (as with Ribera del Duero’s ageing requirements) sees a minimum of three years’ ageing, with at least one in oak, the rest in bottle), giving a bold, rich, toasty profile.
And in a region dominated by reds, flying the flag for Castilla y Léon’s whites, Félix Jiménez of Palacio de Bornos in Rueda was on hand to pour the winery’s premium Verdejo cuvée under the new (from 2020) DO Gran Vino de Rueda category.
Wines for every palate – and plate
Castilla y Léon has something for everyone – and that’s the same when it comes to pairing the region’s wines with food.
Lucía Natal, from the Castilla y Léon international trade body said when she visits the US, she loves pairing the crisp Verdejos of Rueda with New England crab cakes or oysters, while for the Tinto Finos of Ribera del Duero or Toro ‘it has to be steak’!
Jiménez from Palacio de Bornos said while a classic American burger might be the natural pick to go with the rich reds of the region, he would recommend Texas beef ribs or Carolinas-style whole hog pork ribs.
Palacio de Bornos, Colección de Familia Sergio Hernández, Gran Vino de Rueda 2023
Beviamo International (Bornos USA)
100% Verdejo. Under Rueda’s new DO for wines made from vineyards of 50 years or older, this is the estate’s top wine with just 2,574 bottles in this vintage. Wild-yeast fermented in amphora, the wine spends nine months on lees, with regular stirring, giving a silky mouthfeel and lovely weight. Fresh, saline and tropical with lemon verbena hints and a long pastry cream finish. Try with fried chicken or cheese, or the local sopa de ajo. Alc 13%
A selection of Castilla y Léon wines to try
Bodega Réquiem, Réquiem, Ribera del Duero 2021
bodegarequiemhispania.com
100% Tinto Fino. This cosecha, from very old vines, spends 18 months in a mix of new and one-year old French oak, giving it good structure for ageing. Even at five years old it is still young, with firm chewy tannins, but shows great potential in its plush, powerful seam of cocoa-dusted black fruits, liquorice spice and toasty oak. Big and bold. Alc 15%
Pago de los Capellanes, Un Sueño en las Alturas, Ribera del Duero 2021
pagodeloscapellanes.com
100% Tinto Fino. Aptly named ‘A Dream in the Heights’, this cosecha pays tribute to the winery’s lofty ambitions to cultivate historic, old-vine vineyards above 1,000m in the highest part of the appellation. It’s dense yet balanced, with a silky mouthful of inky berries and a resinous herbal depth, supported by firm tannins and bright acidity. Long, elegant and impressive, showing real purity and character.
Alc 15%
Bodega Buen Camino, Buen Camino, Ribera del Duero 2019 bodegabuencamino.com/en
100% Tinto Fino. Aged 15 months in new and used French oak barrels and two years in bottle before release, this cosecha is drinking very well now at seven years of age. It’s deep, earthy and rich with chewy tannins and jammy dark fruit flavours, the bonfire toffee oak char lending complexity. A perfect partner for sweet and sticky barbecued ribs. Alc 14.5%
Bodegas Carramimbre, Carramimbre Crianza, Ribera del Duero 2023
carramimbre.com
100% Tinto Fino. Don’t be in any rush to open this bottle. Cellar for a few years when it will be an ideal partner for roast lamb. From 40-year-old vineyards, this has sweet, rich blackberry and blueberry intensity, spiced chocolate richness and creamy, toasted coconut oak (12 months in French and American oak barrels), with lingering cinnamon notes. Alc 14.5%
Bodegas Valparaiso, Raíces de Valparaiso Crianza, Ribera del Duero 2022
bodegasvalparaiso.com
100% Tinto Fino. Just 4,462 bottles were made in this vintage, and the liquid inside the bottle is just as engaging as the label. From two estate vineyards averaging 40 years, the inky blue and purple berry fruit is succulent and elegant with lovely tannic grip and a refreshing balsamic tang. The 14 months in French oak barrels shows a deft touch, not masking the fruit purity.
Alc 14.5%
Bodegas Frutos Villar, Muruve Reserva, Toro 2016 Alphapac Fine Wines
100% Tinto Fino. A powerful, smoky, chewy mouthful of a wine, this shows all of its 15 months of ageing in superfine French oak barrels, which lend a hit of sweet vanilla bonfire toffee and toasted coconut. It remains a further 21 months in bottle before release. Now, at 10 years of age, the fruit is still dark and bold, ably holding up that oaky structure. Alc 15%
Dominio de Montelahorra, Valezar La Horra 2021
Harvest Wine Imports
100% Tinto Fino from old vines grown in La Horra, located in the heart of Ribera del Duero, cultivated using traditional methods and without chemicals. 18 months in oak barrels, with weekly lees stirring. Intense nose, layering ripe cherries, chocolate and sweet spices. The luscious fruit is perfectly integrated with the oak, supporting the long length and persistence of flavour. Fleshy mid-palate, firm fine-grain tannins. Drinking beautifully now but will benefit from more time. Alc 14.5%
Bodega Buen Camino, Buen Camino, Ribera del Duero 2019 bodegabuencamino.com/en
100% Tinto Fino Round and generous, this Garnacha Blanca fills the mouth with luscious, smooth pear, roasted pineapple, quince and yellow apple. Apple blossom, rose petals and jasmine hover elegantly, while a creamy flow of lemon curd adds both zestiness and unctuosity.
Alc 12.5% | Drink 2026-2027
Discover more: perelada.com/en/home
Few Spanish regions have the variety and quality of wines that match so perfectly with classic American dishes and family-style dining as Castilla y Léon
The Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC 2026
And what to serve with your Rueda Verdejo? ‘Fried chicken – the perfect US combination!’
But the most important ingredient, Jiménez added, was family.
‘Castilla y Léon is such a family-based wine region, unlike many these days,’ he said. ‘So many wineries are still family owned, and have the new generation winemakers taking over from the old. The traditions of family, that connection with the past, still exist even today.’
After a day of discovery at the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York City, visitors will undoubtedly be seeking Castilla y Léon wines to enjoy at their next family-style dinner. Cheers!
