Valles de Benavente
Sixty-two municipalities in northeast Zamora, a land bathed by the rivers Esla, Tera, Órbigo and Eria, claim one quarter of the province’s vines. There are 380 hectares of vineyards and 180 vine-growers with six wineries: Otero, Verdes, Francisco González, Andrea Gutiérrez, El Tesoro and Mitus, comprise this Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO).
Among the qualities of this wine-growing region are notable wines based on the best three red varieties: the Prieto Picudo, Tempranillo and Mencía, which are perfect examples of the Duero and the northeast part of the vine-growing map. The Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties are complementary. The varieties Verdejo and Malvasía are also two magnificent wine options when looking for whites with character.
The area has a continental climate, extreme and dry, with low annual rainfall. Winters are very cold and summers are hot and dry. The winter months are the rainiest. The region of Benavente y los Valles has brown limestone soils with low fertility, but thanks to good drainage and aeration, they are very well-suited to grape growing.