Harvest 2024 is all but completed in Galicia, and all signs point to a great year for quality. Though the amount of grapes harvested was slightly lower than in 2023, good weather conditions throughout the growing season allowed for a slow and complete ripening, which points to a potentially great vintage. Valdeorras kicked things off on …
Despite godello’s meteoric rise, just fifty years ago the grape was on the edge of extinction. 2024 marks 50 years of the ReViVal plan—50 years since the beginning of godello’s rise to fame. Its modern success is a testament to a wine region that managed not only to recover it, but to also turn it into one of the most appreciated white wines in Spain.
Amid uncertainty and turmoil, the aid package for crisis distillation of surplus wine in DO Ribeira Sacra has been announced: growers will get €1.05 per liter of wine they get rid of.
That amount was confirmed on September 27 by the Consellería de Medio Rural, and the official order releasing the funds will be published tomorrow in the Diario Oficial de Galicia, with the deadline to apply for distillation aid set one month from the day after publication.
Crisis Distillation Approved in Ribeira Sacra On September 2, the Xunta de Galicia announced the approval of a crisis distillation order for Ribeira Sacra. The Xunta also activated up to €2M in aid for growers “against any remaining grapes that may remain in the vineyards.” It’s the first time that a Galician DO will recur …
Established in 2005 by Fernando González, Adega Algueira has led a quality-driven revolution in the Ribeira Sacra. Fernando is like the Lorax: he speaks for Ribeira Sacra. He considers himself a mouthpiece for the region, spreading the message of Ribeira Sacra’s history and tradition. Now, second-generation Fabio has joined his father at the helm of the winery.
We spent an afternoon in some of their most iconic vineyards, talking about the Ribeira Sacra’s terroir and what it means to make wine in the land of heroic viticulture.
The Ratiño Gallega grape variety is the newest addition to the roster of approved grapes for DO Rías Baixas and IXP Barbanza e Iria. Ratiño is a native variety that survived the 19th-century triple threat of powdery mildew, downy mildew, and phylloxera in the region of Pontevedra, and was rediscovered over 30 years ago by …
Read more “DO Rías Baixas, IXP Barbanza e Iria Add Ratiño to Approved Grapes”
Rafael Palacios is crafting world-class wines from Godello in Valdeorras. From his 100-point Sorte O Soro to the entry-level Louro, this Riojano has established himself as one of the region’s leading winemakers.
We spent a day driving around Valdeorras, visiting his different vineyards as he explained his philosophy behind winemaking and what makes this region of Galicia the greatest terroir for Godello.
Miguel Crunia is a sommelier and founder of Edinburgh-based importer and online wine shop Fìon. He’s also a proud Gallego. His group ‘Grupo Orixe’ is advocating for a more terroir-based understanding of Galician wines, and even pushing for a new pyramid of quality based on villages and historic vineyards. We sat down to talk about the challenges of selling Galicia, how he tries to represent smaller wineries, and his vision for the Galicia of tomorrow.
Photo © Noah Chichester, 2022 Valdeorras has become famous for godello, a grape that was brought back from the edge of extinction to make some of the most exciting white wines coming out of Galicia today. It’s common to hear this region called the “gateway to Galicia,” and for a good reason: the Romans passed through Valdeorras …