D.O Ribeira Sacra Wines

A privileged enclave

To know the greatness of its wines, we first have to know its surroundings. The landscapes of Ribeira Sacra are marked by two large rivers; the Minho and the Sil. The vegetation is lush, mainly chestnut and oak.

La Vid is located on sunny slopes, which makes the place a very charming. Grape harvesting is quite dangerous, since due to the slope, in certain areas it has to be done with a harness to avoid falling into the river.

The views of the area are impressive, the valleys and the vineyards of what the Ribeira Sacra represents do not detract at any time of the year. In spring, the hillside is covered in green with the growth of vines. In autumn, harvest time, the grape offers yellow and red tones, which makes the landscape unique and difficult to resemble what has been seen. In summer it is dressed in green and in winter the stone stands out above the ground.

History

The Ribeira Sacra route extends through the territory of the D.O Ribeira Sacra, which was approved in 1996 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry of the Xunta de Galicia. This council divides Ribeira into five sub-areas: Amandi, Ribeiras do Miño, Quiroga-Bibei, Chantada and Ribeiras do Sil.

The Regulatory Council of Ribeira Sacra has three essential tasks: to guarantee the origin of the product, to ensure its quality and to promote the wines produced under the D.O.

The history of wine on this route began in Roman times, and was continued by monks in the Middle Ages. The tradition of wine in this area has been maintained to this day. Most of the wineries in this area are small producers and only 7% of the winemakers are large companies.

Grape Variety

It has always opted for young wines, for the most part, of the red variety, although it also has unique whites.

The care that has always been put into the selection of the grape, with native varieties, as well as the quality controls, have made possible the great prestige of the Ribeira Sacra.

The Mencía grape variety is the most cultivated as a single varietal. It is a variety of red wines, without much acidity and fruity aroma. The Brancellao and Merenzao varieties are also grown, although in smaller quantities than the previous one.

The most used varieties for white wines are Godello, Albariño, Loureira, Treixadura, Dona Branca and Torrontés.

Regarding the wines of the D.O Ribeira Sacra we can highlight the following:

- Ribeira Sacra Godello: made with 100% Godello grapes and with a minimum of eleven degrees

- Ribeira Sacra Albariño: made with 100% Albariño grapes and whose minimum graduation amounts to eleven degrees 

- Ribeira Sacra Mencía: with 100% Mencía grape and with a minimum graduation of 11 degrees

- Ribeira Sacra wines: made with grapes from white varieties for white wines, and grapes from red varieties for reds; have a graduation of not less than ten degrees

By Alfonso Herrera - Monforte de Lemos