Historic Wildfires Threaten Galician Vineyards
As harvest gets underway in Galicia, many grapes are still dusted with a thin layer of ash.
The region is suffering one of the worst waves of forest fires in decades as the combined effects of extreme heat, drought, and strong winds spread the destruction. The province of Ourense is the epicenter: as of August 21, over 88,000 hectares (217,452 acres) have burned and there are five major fires still active.
Ourense is home to four of Galicia’s five Denominaciones de Origen (Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras, and Monterrei) and one third of Galicia's vineyards. Since the fires are still burning, it’s too soon to measure the full losses, but sources say vineyards in Monterrei, Valdeorras, and Ribeira Sacra were all damaged. For affected farmers whose main source of income comes from grape growing, this vintage will be particularly challenging, and vineyards that were completely burned could take several years to get back to normal production.
Although the flames destroyed much of the landscape, vineyards often acted as natural firebreaks, stopping the flames after consuming the outer rows and protecting nearby homes. In larger vineyards, the innermost vines sometimes manage to escape unscathed, but they can still be damaged by heat: if the flames get close enough, they can “cook” the grapes. Smaller holdings often face total devastation.
Even vines in parcels that didn’t directly burn could be at risk for smoke taint—often undetectable until fermentation. On top of that, the effects of the fires have compounded the water stress grapes have endured after two months without rain. Heat-induced water stress has reduced the weight of grape clusters, with production estimated to be about 10% lower than a typical year.
The largest blaze began in Larouco, a village located within DO Valdeorras. Since it first broke out on August 13, the wildfire has burned 30,000 hectares, making it not only the largest fire ever recorded in Galicia but also one of the largest wildfires in Spain since records began. Ten days later, it’s still going.
The Larouco fire tore through Valdeorras, leaving entire villages burned in its wake. The DO Valdeorras Regulatory Council said it’s still too early to determine the full impact on both the quantity and quality of the grapes, but that several vineyards have been affected by the fires.
A separate fire that started in Oímbra, in DO Monterrei, left devastation in its wake. Ernesto Rodríguez of Crego e Monaguillo said vineyards in the villages of Oímbra, Laza, and Verín were “completely destroyed,” and some producers fear they may lose their entire harvest. As the owner of one of the largest wineries in Monterrei, Rodríguez buys grapes from 130 local growers. “What hurts the most are my growers—seeing people who have committed to rural life, with all the challenges that entails, and watching them cry like children—it’s truly heartbreaking,” he told El País.
Two separate fires broke out within DO Ribeiro, one of which is still burning. DO Ribeiro says no vineyards were destroyed, though a full assessment is still pending. Managing secretary Luis Manuel Vázquez told La Región that extreme heat can harm vines even without direct contact, so the true impact won’t be clear until harvest.
From Valdeorras, the Larouco fire spread west to nearby Quiroga, in Ribeira Sacra, where it has destroyed 9,000 hectares so far. According to Ribeira Sacra’s president, Antonio Lombardía, the only winery to report losses is Alvaredos-Hobbs, a project founded in 2015 by Antonio López and American winemaker Paul Hobbs.
Cecilia Fernández, consulting winemaker for Alvaredos-Hobbs, told El Progreso de Lugo that “harvest usually comes to 20,000 kilos a year, but I estimate we’ll have only about 2,500 of red and 2,000 of white this year.” Of the entire five-hectare estate, every vineyard has been damaged to some degree and Fernández estimated 80% of its production has been lost.
Other active fronts in Galicia include the Chandrexa de Queixa and Vilariño fire (19,000 hectares / 46,950 acres), Oímbra and Xinzo de Limia (17,000 hectares / 42,007 acres), A Mezquita (10,000 hectares / 24,710 acres), and Carballeda de Valdeorras (2,600 hectares / 6,424 acres).
As the fires show no signs of stopping, everyone—grape growers included—is praying for rain.