The Ribera del Duero is located on the great northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula . It is formed by an enormous smoothened base and is partly covered by tertiary sediments.

Most of these sediments consist of gently lenticular layers of silty or clayey sand. Of particular note are the alternating layers of limestone and marl and even chalky concretions.

The Duero valley, formed during the Miocene period, has flat areas and gently undulating areas. These are limited by differential erosion and have now almost become a plain. In terms of altitude, the hills reach up to 911 m and the valleys are at an altitude of between 750 and 850 m.