The harvest at DO Toro is now officially closed, with 20.7 million kg of grapes gathered by the the appellation’s 43 member wineries. This figure marks a 22.5 percent increase on the 16.9 million kg gathered the previous year.
Grape quality was rated excellent by the Regulating Council, thanks to the fact that the fruit was collected at its optimum sugar, acidity and phenolic content, with the right maturity for making quality aged wines.
The Council employed a team of thirty supervisors to ensure the origin and quality of grapes collected across the appellation’s 5,800 ha of vineyards spread over 15 municipalities in Zamora and Valladolid.
Of the red varieties, 87 percent were Tinta de Toro, the appellation’s local star, with 4 percent Grenache. Under whites, Malvasía accounted for 8 percent, with the remaining 1 percent being Verdejo.
In terms of sales, the appellation increased its domestic sales in 2005 by 23 percent, according to auditors AC Nielsen. Added to 2004’ s 29 percent growth, these figures place the appellation as market leader in terms of market share expansion. The Regulating Council is proud to stress that 50 percent of their sales go abroad, “prompting some important critics, including Robert Parker, to declare that in ten years’ time, Toro will be the benchmark for quality in Spanish wine”.
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