Ribera Alta is warmer than the three northern regions above it and dotted with cozy villages, castles and monasteries. It lies in central Navarra, extending south towards Ribera Baja. With streets laid out in Medieval Times and a grand Royal Palace, the town of Olite is home to the Festival of Classical Theatre celebrated each year in open-air stages with an awe-inspiring castle as their backdrop. It is also home to Spain’s most advanced viticultural and enological-based research center (EVENA). Locals and visitors alike are treated to deliciously fruity rosé and red wines made with Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Soils are sandy with substantial outcroppings of limestone. It experiences weather influences from the Mediterranean that do not extend as far south as the Ribera Baja region. Twenty-six towns are included in this region, and its vineyards make up 33% of the D.O.s total.
