Galicia

DO in the region of Galicia in north-west Spain, the name translates as “holy shores”, and refers to the numerous abbies founded in the 12th and 13th century. To the west it is adjoined by the DO Rías Baixas. This is a beautiful countryside with extensive forests and vineyards, with three rivers running through the region. The DO is divided into the six sub-zones Amandi, Chantada, Quiroga-Bibei, Ribeiras do Miño, Ribeira do Sil-Ourence and Sober. Legend has it that the wine from Amandi was the favourite drink of the Roman emperor Tiberius (42 BC – 47 AD). The vineyards are mostly very steep and terraced, the soils are decomposed slate and granite, the total vineyard area is 1.200 hectares. The most important and most widely planted grape variety is the red Mencia, which accounts for around 50% of thetotal area. The latest DO regulations, dated 2004, specify that the red wines of the region must contain a minimum of 85% of this variety. This is followed by the red Garnacha Tintorera as well as by the white varieties Albariño, Godello, Loureira and Treixadura. There are numerous blended wines, described collectively as „Xenérico“ (general varieties), however there is a trend towards producing more varietal wines.