Chantada (chahn-TAH-dah), is a subzone of the Ribeira Sacra wine appellation located on the western bank of the Miño River. It’s the subzone with the second-highest number of wineries (20), and its 202 hectares are tended by 530 registered growers.
A Little Geography
Chantada extends from north to south along the west bank of the Miño River. The Ferreira River forms the northern limit of the subzone, and to the south Chantada ends at the Barra River.
Chantada encompasses mostly towns and parishes in the province of Lugo, with one town in the province of Ourense. From north to south: Portomarín, Taboada, Chantada, Carballedo in Lugo province, and A Peroxa in Ourense.
Like Ribeiras do Miño on the other side of the river, the scenery here is unrivaled as small vineyards emerge from oak, chestnut, and pine forests.
Chantada's Climate and Soils
As the western-most subzone in Ribeira Sacra, Chantada receives more Atlantic influences than the more continental-Mediterranean Amandi or Quiroga. The cool breezes that come up the Miño from the Atlantic Ocean exert slightly more of an influence here, and the region receives more rain than the rest of Ribeira Sacra.
Here, vineyards are planted on the slopes and the flat areas above the river canyon. Most vineyards face south and southeast, so they get a lot of sun throughout the day, and above all in the mornings. Soils here are mostly granitic, mimicking the rest of western Galicia. There are also areas of schist, slate and gneiss.