Rioja vs. Ribera del Duero

I was at a fascinating tasting recently comparing these two great Spanish wine-making areas. Although they are not very far from each other geographically, there are important differences; the dominant American oak in (traditionally made) Rioja, the acceptance of French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec in Ribera. When put side by side, they are usually quite distinctive; what the tasting brought out very clearly was that Riojas tend to have softer fruit, softer tannins and, very distinctively, lower acidity than Riberas; Riberas tend to be drier, more structured and more acidic. (Riberas also come to the market earlier and consequently tend to get drunk too soon!)