Rías Baixas (DO)
Encyclopedia
Denominación de Origen
Denominación de Origen is part of a regulatory classification system primarily for Spanish wines but also for other foodstuffs like honey, meats and condiments. In wines it parallels the hierarchical system of France and Italy although Rioja and Sherry preceded the full system...
(DO) (Denominación de Orixe in Galician
Galician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
) for wines located in the province of Pontevedra
Pontevedra (province)
Pontevedra is a province of Spain along the country's Atlantic coast in southwestern Europe. The province forms the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Galicia...
and the south of the province of A Coruña
A Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
in the autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Galicia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is renowned for its white wines made from the Albariño
Albariño
Albariño or Alvarinho is a variety of white wine grape grown in Galicia , Monção and Melgaço , where it is used to make varietal white wines.Albariño is actually the Galician name for the grape...
grape variety.
(In Galicia Rias Baixas is pronounced Ree-ass By-shass)
History
It is believed that the Albariño grape was introduced to the area in the 12th century by the Cistercian monks of the Monastery of Armenteira.The sub-zones of Rosal and Condado have a long history of grape growing and wine production and have their own traditional styles. The Salnés sub-zone only recently began to produce Albariño wines, for local sales to bars and restaurants.
Rías Baixas acquired its official status as a Denominación de Origen (DO) in 1988. This replaced the earlier "Denominación Específica Albariño" status which had been granted in 1980. Its Consejo Regulador is based in the city of Pontevedra
Pontevedra
Pontevedra is a city in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the capital of both the comarca and province of Pontevedra, in Galicia . It is also the capital of its own municipality which is, in fact, often considered as an extension of the actual city...
.http://www.doriasbaixas.com/es/cregulador_hist.php
Geography
The DO is divided into five sub-zones, four of them in the province of PontevedraPontevedra
Pontevedra is a city in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the capital of both the comarca and province of Pontevedra, in Galicia . It is also the capital of its own municipality which is, in fact, often considered as an extension of the actual city...
and one in the south of the province of A Coruña
A Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
.
Val do Salnés
Val do Salnés is located on the lower reaches of the river Umia and centred around the town of CambadosCambados
Cambados is a municipality in Galicia, Spain in the province of Pontevedra. It is known for its famous white wine, Albariño.- Culture :Fishing is a major industry in this coastal area of Galicia...
. The landscape is of low undulating hills and the vineyards are planted both on the slopes and on the flat valley floors. The soil is generally rocky and alluvial.
O Rosal
O Rosal is located further south, along the Portuguese frontier in the basin of the river MiñoMinho River
The Minho or Miño is the longest river in Galicia, Spain, with an extension of 340 km.Both names come from Latin Minius...
and extends inwards towards the town of Tui
Tui
As a noun, Tui may refer to:* Tu'i , a title of nobility in Polynesia and some of Melanesia* Tui Awards, New Zealand's annual music industry awards* Tui , a brand of New Zealand beer produced by Tui Breweries...
. The vineyards here are planted on terraces on the banks of the Miño. The soils are alluvial.
Condado do Tea
Condado do Tea, in the west, extends westwards from Tui along the Miño valley up to the neighbouring Ribeiro (DO)Ribeiro (DO)
Ribeiro is a Spanish Denominación de Origen for wines located in the northeast of the province of Ourense , in the valleys formed by the rivers Miño, Arnoia, Avia and Barbantiño...
. The landscape is more abrupt and consists of several small river valleys. The soils are granite and slate based.
Soutomaior
The Soutomaior sub-zone was incorporated into the Denominación de Origen in 1996 and is located just south of the city of PontevedraPontevedra
Pontevedra is a city in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the capital of both the comarca and province of Pontevedra, in Galicia . It is also the capital of its own municipality which is, in fact, often considered as an extension of the actual city...
. The soils are light and sandy, and covered with granite.
Ribera de Ulla
The Ribera de Ulla sub-zone, to the north of Pontevedra was incorporated recently in 2000. The soils are mainly alluvial.Climate
The climate is Atlantic, with wet winters and sea fog. In general rainfall is high and the temperatures mild. In general, maximum temperatures in summer rarely usually exceed 30ºC and only drop to 0ºC in December and January.The coldest areas are Ribera do Ulla and Val do Salnés due to their proximity to the coast. The warmest is Condado do Tea where temperatures in summer sometimes approach 40ºC, but the winters are cold with frequent frosts and rainfall of over 2,000 mm a year.
Strong winds can occasionally cause problems for the vineyards, especially those located on the west face of the coast. Frosts, hailstones and summer heat can also cause complications.
Grapes
The regulatory Council (Consejo Regulador) of the Rias Baixas DO currently authorises twelve different grape varieties, though Albariño represents over 90% of all vines planted.- Authorised white grapes: AlbariñoAlbariñoAlbariño or Alvarinho is a variety of white wine grape grown in Galicia , Monção and Melgaço , where it is used to make varietal white wines.Albariño is actually the Galician name for the grape...
, Loureira Blanca, Treixadura, Caiño Blanca, TorrontésTorrontesTorrontés is a white Argentine wine grape variety, producing fresh, aromatic wines with moderate acidity, smooth texture and mouthfeel as well as distinctive peach and apricot aromas on the nose. Three Torrontés varieties exist in Argentina: Torrontés Riojano, the most common, Torrontés Sanjuanino,...
and GodelloGodelloGodello is a white variety of wine grape grown in northwestern Spain, in particular in Galicia. The Gouveio found in northern Portugal is thought to be the same grape variety.... - Authorised red varieties: Caiño TintoCaiño TintoCaiño Tinto is a red Galician wine grape variety that is also grown in Portugal's Vinho Verde wine region where it is known as Borraçal...
, EspadeiroEspadeiroEspadeiro is a red Portuguese wine grape planted primarily in the Minho region for making Vinho Verde. It is also grown across the border, in Spain, in Galicia where it is used to make light bodied wines....
, Loureira Tinta, Sousón, MencíaMenciaMencía is a Spanish grape variety primarily found in the northwestern part of the country. It is planted on over , and it is primarily found in the Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras regions....
and Brancellao
The vines are trained along granite posts (called parrales) and wires so as to protect them from humidity and to maximise their exposure to the sun in summer.
Over 90% of the wines produced are white, predominantly using the Albariño grape variety.