An experience unique and singular is the one that gives you the oldest winery in the Ribeira Sacra, riding a Galicia, between rivers, where the vines sprout in the middle of a rare orography. All this Galician natural environment is considered a tourist destination key of recent years. Now, aspire to become World Heritage Site in 2021, for its beauty and the culture it welcomes. Regarding the wines Ponte da Boga, belonging to the group Hijos de Rivera, they are born after a spectacular harvest. The one that defies gravity, the terrain and the circumstances of transporting the boxes. Find out more here.
Risky but fascinating viticulture
In full season of vintage In many Spanish regions, the one of Ponte da Boga for being one of the most particular, risky and fascinating at the same time. Because in the Denomination of Origin Ribeira Sacra, specifically in its oldest winery, a special winemaking tradition is followed. The one that was created in their time by the Romans, with ancestral wine varieties located in unique geographical areas. On both sides of the Sil and Miño rivers, the vineyards offer an exceptional grape. But for special, the collection of each bunch with the difficulties that the mountainous area.
The beautiful Galician natural area has seen the recuperación of indigenous grape varieties thanks to the conscientious work of Hijos de Rivera, combining sustainability and modern cultivation techniques. It has not been easy at all to get to Ponte da Boga in a whole reference within the DO, but they have succeeded. Despite the fact that the relief of an abrupt enclave and with 90% incline it complicates the winemaking task a lot.
The steep terraces vineyards are worth seeing, especially when they are full of fruit. To collect it successfully, we resort to traditional wisdom, that of yesteryear that dominated the manual harvest in such terrain. Thus, thanks to the use of a harness system, the boxes even travel to the boats that access by the river, in the most arduous cases to use the tractor.
The trajectory of Ponte da Boga
The municipality of Castro Caldelas, In the Ribeira Sacra Ourense, welcomes the winery Ponte da Boga, born there by 1898 by a family living in the area. Until the end of the 60s, the wine-making activity was very high but the cessation of production came in those years and it was not resumed until 1999. Under the protection of the DO Ribeira Sacra, some winegrowers decided to take over their reins until in 2005, the corporation Hijos de Rivera took over the winery. From that moment, a period of new challenges began to improve its commercial position, as well as the reference of its bottles with their own unique personality.
All the different varieties cultivated offer a wide catalog of wines that identify the area very well. From the variety Ponte da Boga Mencia to Godello, going through the typical Albariño Galician, the Merenzao whim, Forgotten terraces or Porto Lobos with Brancellao grape. There is also the limited edition Historic Expression, in a clear tribute to the architectural styles of the Cathedral of Santiago. Or, likewise, Signature Wines, linked to works by artists such as Budino.
In short, we are talking about a winery Ponte da Boga very unique, of yesteryear and risky in the viticulture task, but with unmatched characteristics.
