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 A look back at the history of winemaking in Extremadura also involves remembering its ancient inhabitants such as the Celts and the Lusitani. However, winemaking really took off under the Romans. Emérita Augusta had a large population and many people passed through on the roads that linked it to the rest of the peninsula. This led to a rise in demand and consumption. A Kylix (drinking cup) from Medellín and dated at 550B.C. is the oldest archaeological relic related to wine to have been found in Extremadura, and is evidence of the use of wine in wakes. In Emérita Augusta there’s a Roman mosaic dating from the third century A.D., to be found in the Amphitheatre House. In the centre of this mosaic three people can be seen treading on grapes among vine leaves. In 1186 King AlfonsoVIII founded the city of Plasencia and granted it a series of privileges that can be found in the city’s statutes, which date from the thirteenth century. Out of over 300 article contained in the afore-mentioned statutes, about 30 refer to wine. This highlights the importance of winemaking in the area at that time. The Monastery of Santa María in Guadalupe provided a strict winemaking model. Documents in the monastery give details of all the tools that were used in the grape harvest and then in the winery, together with the upkeep that these tools required. In 1573 Luis de Toro wrote about the wines from Extremadura that Carlos V had discovered while at Yuste. He stated “As well as a wide range of delicious grape varieties, there is an abundance of sweet figs and numerous types of cherries to be enjoyed. The latter are extraordinarily large and tasty - red, black or a purple colour that’s similar to wine.” Vineyards grew in Extremadura from the start of the seventeenth century, due to a rise in demand and thus price. During the second half of the nineteenth century winemaking was affected by a number of parasites which brought about a change in techniques. Mildew (in 1845 and 1878) and phylloxera (in 1868) arrived from the Americas and created a crisis in winemaking. After the end of the Civil War in 1939, growers began replanting vines. Difficult years followed, but winemakers in Extremadura then found their way, adapting their products to modern consumers. From then on, producers kept abreast of changes in the economy, developing criteria that enabled them to make the best use of modern winemaking techniques. Wines from Extremadura achieved their seal of quality and identity in 1999, when the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) approved the creation of a regulatory board on 16th April that year. The “Vino de la Tierra” professional commission was approved by the Agriculture and Trade Council on 12th December 1990. The next step was the recognition of the Ribera del Guadiana D.O. via the appointment of a provisional regulatory board in August 1996. Extremadura’s Regional Government ratified the D.O. with their order on 17/3/97. The approval of the Ribera del Guadiana D.O. was the sign of a job well done and recognised the natural vocation of much of the land in Extremadura. The creation of the Regulatory Board of the Ribera del Guadiana Denomination of Origin marked the beginning of a new era in Extremaduran winemaking. Modernisation was rapid and the region soon forged its way into the twenty-first century. Considerable investment was made in new technology, while winemakers and growers have also made great strides. All these efforts have enabled the Denomination of Origin to reach an important position among Spanish winemaking regions.
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Ribera del Guadiana 
