Galicia is a land of privileged gastronomy and this is one of the main features that visitors recognize. The work of producers and the government to achieve the highest quality is reflected on the creation of certifications in areas such as cheese, honey, organic farming, meat or liqueur, but it is probably the wines that have made their designations of origin most popular. In Galicia there are six of them: do you know which they are?
Monterrei
The warm lands of eastern Ourense are the fields where the Monterrei Designation of Origin strain grows. It spreads, in particular, through the municipalities of Castrelo do Val, Monterrei, Oímbra and Verín, next to the Portugal border, and are characterised by the fact that they produce powerful white wines of pale yellow colour; and fruity and fresh reds. They are made primarily with Doña Blanca, godello and treixadura grapes, taking advantage of a drier climate than that of other Galician regions.
Rías Baixas
The white wines of the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin are among the best known wines in Galicia and probably the world. Five separate subzones throughout the province of Pontevedra and south of A Coruña are part of the designated geographical area: Condado do Tea, Val do Salnés, O Rosal, Ribeira do Ulla and Soutomaior, occupying land from the Portuguese border to the Ulla river shores. They are bright yellow wines, with very intense flavour. Many of them are made only with the Albariña grape strain, although some areas, such as O Condado or O Rosal, introduce other strains such as treixadura or loureira. The wide variety of wineries that produce it allows you to be surprised every time you sample it.
Ribeiro
Another name that, in Galicia, has been synonymous with good wine for centuries: Ribeiro Designation of Origin gathers a tradition of timeless international fame, based on the quality of fresh and fruity whites; and some young reds purple in colour. They are produced in the region of the same name, in the province of Ourense, in the valleys of the rivers Miño, Avia, Barbantiño and Arnoia. Proof that its quality is not a recent matter is the fact that the first rules to regulate production were written in Ribadavia half a millennia ago.
Valdeorras
Located northeast of the province of Ourense, Valdeorras is home to one of the wines with the most character of those produced in Galicia. Both the whites and the reds of the area take advantage of the long hours of sunshine enjoyed by the region. The whites, made with the Godello strain, are yellow-green, complex; while the reds are made with the mencía strain to give as result an intense red colour and fruity and soft flavorus. The vineyards located in the municipalities of Larouco, Petín, O Bolo, A Rúa, Vilamartín de Valdeorras, O Barco de Valdeorras, Rubiá and Carballeda de Valdeorras are part of the Designation of Origin.
Viños da Terra
One last popular geographical mention, probably less famous but interesting all the same, is Viños da Terra, which encompasses several areas in which wine production is a centuries-old tradition. Viño da Terra de Barbanza and Iria belongs to the surroundings areas of the Arousa estuary, and produces whites and reds. Viño da Terra de Betanzos is produced mainly in Bergondo, Betanzos, Coirós, Miño and Paderne. Finally, Viño da Terra do Val do Miño-Ourense encompasses municipalities such as A Peroxa, Coles, Babadás, Toén, Ourense. San Cibrao das Viñas or Pereiro de Aguiar.
