A.V.T. RIBERA DEL ARLANZA

In the XII century, the monastery of Santa María de Bujedo de Juarros acquired vineyards in the Ribera del Arlanza and el Duero for his provisions, completing them with vineyards in Quintanilla del Agua.

According to fray Valentín: "All the towns included between the Arlanzón and the Arlanza destined some of his payments to vineyards…The count family enjoyed having the vineyards and the monks of the area of Lerma took care of them, specially in the priory of Santa Ines. Covarrubias praised his own broths, and the abbess demanded from each neighbour of his jurisdiction, a pail of wine".

At the beginning of the XX century the phylloxera appeared, which forced the digging up of all the existing vineyards and its replantation. In 1920 the reorganization had been completed.

The vineyard was an important part of all the existing cultivation in the region until mid XX century. From the 50s of our century on, a strong rural exodus in the Ribera del Arlanza (just like in other regions) took place, due to a great industrial expansion, which needed workers in abundance. This was absorbed from the agricultural regions, which couldn’t compete with the wages or the conditions of life in the industrial areas.

The lack of workers, together with the restructuring of the vineyards, which were mostly formed by very small pieces of land, plantation frames which made the use of a variety of different and little adapted machinery, etc. impossible, forced a gradual evacuation of the lands, at the same time made the agriculturists pass over to the cultivation of cereals, which was better protected at that time


	The viticultural tradition in the Ribera del Arlanza region goes back to the X century, of which historical accounts of the existence of vineyards in the hands of the monasteries are preserved. Details to be highlighted are: In the XII century, the monastery of Santa María de Bujedo de Juarros acquired vineyards in the Ribera del Arlanza and el Duero for his provisions, completing them with vineyards in Quintanilla del Agua. According to fray Valentín: "All the towns included between the Arlanzón and the Arlanza destined some of his payments to vineyards…The count family enjoyed having the vineyards and the monks of the area of Lerma took care of them, specially in the priory of Santa Ines. Covarrubias praised his own broths, and the abbess demanded from each neighbour of his jurisdiction, a pail of wine". At the beginning of the XX century the phylloxera appeared, which forced the digging up of all the existing vineyards and its replantation. In 1920 the reorganization had been completed. The vineyard was an important part of all the existing cultivation in the region until mid XX century. From the 50s of our century on, a strong rural exodus in the Ribera del Arlanza (just like in other regions) took place, due to a great industrial expansion, which needed workers in abundance. This was absorbed from the agricultural regions, which couldn’t compete with the wages or the conditions of life in the industrial areas. The lack of workers, together with the restructuring of the vineyards, which were mostly formed by very small pieces of land, plantation frames which made the use of a variety of different and little adapted machinery, etc. impossible, forced a gradual evacuation of the lands, at the same time made the agriculturists pass over to the cultivation of cereals, which was better protected at that time