Write: The Sanxenxo Winery (Pontevedra, Galicia)
The sector of Galician wine it is one of the main sources of wealth and employment. Furthermore, wine is one of the identity references of our community. There is a great variety in both reds and whites. As many of you know, some of our wines are known internationally. Not to mention the prestige of our five Denominations of Origin. Everyone knows Albariño or Ribeiro, but beyond these great varieties there is a lot to choose from. Let's find out together!
White Wine
Both the climate and the orography of Galicia make our white wines have special characteristics and difficult to imitate. Its freshness is intended to alleviate the sensation of heat and humidity. In addition, Galician white wines enjoy a balance between acidity and aroma. Without a doubt, something difficult to achieve. Galician whites are wines with a pleasant acidity, which enhances their aromatic flavor. Regarding the Denominations of Origin, they represent the highest quality standard and regulate the most distinguished wines.
DO Rías Baixas It is characterized by its white wines that combine so well with fish or seafood. These are wines produced at low altitude. The main grape is the Albariño, although grapes are also used as treixadura, spout white or loureira. The whites of this DO are straw yellow wines, fresh and quite soft. They have wide nuances and floral and fruity aromas. They are of balanced acidity.
DO Ribeiro it is the oldest of the Galician denominations. 85% of its production is white wine. In its production, grapes of different varieties are used such as treixadura, albariño, loureira, torrontés, albilla, godello, macabeo and palomino. They are pale or straw-colored wines with greenish reflections. Floral, fruit and balsamic aromas stand out.
DO Valdeorras it is characterized by the great diversity of soils. The main variety of grape used to make these wines is godello, although they are also cultivated doña blanca and palomino. They are quite fruity and full-bodied wines.
DO Ribeira Sacra uses grapes as albariño, loureira, treixadura, godello, doña blanca and torrontés. Whites only account for 15% of the production of this appellation of origin.
DO Monterrei It is the smallest of the Galician denominations. Its white wines are fresh and fruity. They are also pale yellow or straw in color. Grapes of the varieties are used godello, treixadura and doña blanca.
See this post on Instagram
Now that you know the main characteristics of the Galician white wines, we would like to make a couple of recommendations with which you will not fail. First of all, the Albariño Blanco or carballal. This is an elegant, structured wine, with a broad aftertaste and mature sensations. It is bright straw yellow in color, with an aroma of ripe fruit, citrus and balsamic notes.
Another of the whites that we love is the Ribeiro Blanco or To Teixa. It is a subtle, but elegant wine, with the aroma of butter and toasted nuts, herbaceous notes, citrus and white fruit. It is bright straw yellow in color. It is a fresh wine, somewhat unctuous and with a bitter finish. Without a doubt it is elegant and personal.
Also in Galician wine there are reds
When it comes to quality Galician wine, it seems that only whites exist. However, there are Red wine Very good Galician as we will see below. These are Atlantic wines such as wines from Brook. The latter are fresh wines with less body. The red wines of the Ribeira Sacra with a little more body and more ripe red fruit flavors. We cannot forget the red wines of Monterrei either. These have more body and less acidity than the previous ones.
Although the DO Rías Baixas It is best known for its white wines, it also makes reds with caíño red grapes, sousón, espadeiro and loureiro. Refering to DO Ribeiro, uses the varieties Caíño, Ferrón, Sousón, Brancellao, Mencía, Garnacha and Tempranillo. The wines of the latter DO are quite fruity and with a point of acidity.
La DO Valdeorras It is known for its mencía and sousón, although it also uses grapes of the varieties brancellao, nebreda, tempranillo, merenzao and garnacha tintorera, among others. They are purple-colored wines, with a fruity aroma, with an intense and prolonged aftertaste.
The reds of the DO Ribeira Sacra they are characterized by their violet or ruby red tones. They have fruity flavors and mineral notes. Grapes of the varieties Mencía, Brancellao, Merenzao, Tempranillo, Caíño Tinto and souson.
Finally, the red wines of the DO Monterrei They are cherry red with purple reflections. They have intense aromas of red fruits and berries. They are fresh and flavored with ripe fruit. In this denomination, Mencia and Merenzao grapes are used mainly.
Galician red wines are gradually gaining importance. They are getting better and better. It is even said that the climate change It is influencing the ripening of the grapes, which makes them less acidic and more fruity. Now that you know its main features, we would like to share a couple of recommendations from red wines from Galicia which are really good.
The first is the Rías Baixas Eulogio Pomares Castineiro Espadiero. It is a clean and bright cherry red wine. It has aromas of wild fruits, red fruit, balsamic and white pepper. It is a fresh, light wine with balanced acidity. Another high quality Galician red is the Ribeira Sacra Regoa Iria. It is a very aromatic wine with balsamic notes. It is a fresh, but mature wine. Medium bodied and very elegant. It is characterized by its balance between fruit and wood.
Conclusion
This is it for the Galician wine, as you have seen in this small article there is a lot to choose from both in wines blancos as in Reds. Each DO has its characteristics and preferred varieties. If you want to find the perfect wine, it is a matter of knowing them and knowing how to choose. We hope we have helped you. If you have any questions or want to consult something, leave us a comment here. We will be happy to answer your questions as soon as possible.
