Hot Rocks in the Sun: Alluvial Soils in Laserna

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Courtesy of the Río Ebro: Graciano vines planted in alluvial soils at Viñedos del Contino, Laserna (Álava), Spain, October 2009. The Sierra Cantabria is visible in the background.  In these poor soils along the northern bank of the Ebro River, the vine is king; by capturing and radiating the heat of the sun well after sunset, sedimentary deposits at Contino’s 6o hectare estate help Graciano—a variety so difficult to manage that many grape growers won’t even bother with it—achieve ripenss levels unheard of in most other parts of the region.

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