Xurxo Alba inside a foudre during harvest in Rías Baixas

Xurxo Alba: El Capitán

Xurxo Alba quickly established himself as a rising star in Rías Baixas, working out of his family’s furancho-turned-winery Bodegas Almabar. Today, it’s safe to say that he stands among the region’s great growers and winemakers. From the home base in Rías Baixas, he’s gone on to create projects in Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras.

Val do Salnés

The Salnés Valley is the most important subzone in the Rías Baixas DO. Known locally as O Salnés, it has three-quarters of the region’s growers and just over half the appellation’s vineyards. It’s also the subzone with the largest number of wineries: 113 out of Rías Baixas’ 178 wineries are in the Val do Salnés. © Noah Chichester, 2022. All rights reserved. …

Condado do Tea

The Condado de Tea, or County of Tea (pronounced “TAY-uh”), is a subzone of the Rías Baixas wine appellation located on the banks of the river Tea. It’s more inland and warmer than the Val do Salnés, and produces about 20% of the wines in Rías Baixas. It’s the second-largest subzone with just under 1,000 hectares of vineyards …

O Rosal

O Rosal (O ro-SALL) is a subzone of the Rías Baixas wine appellation located on the border with Portugal in the extreme southwest of Rías Baixas. It’s the DO’s third founding subzone, and also comes in third place in number of wineries and volume of production, with 540 hectares of vines. A Rosal by Any Other …

Soutomaior

Soutomaior was the first new subzone to join Rías Baixas in 1996. It’s the smallest subzone by surface area and production, and the entire production area is in the town of Soutomaior. More to come!

Ribeira do Ulla

The Ribeira do Ulla (“banks of the Ulla,” in Galician) subzone was the last to join the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin in 2000. It’s the largest subzone by surface area, and the only one that straddles the provinces of Pontevedra and A Coruña. Today Ribeira do Ulla produces around 10% of Rías Baixas’ albariño …

Rías Baixas: The Ultimate Guide to the Birthplace of Albariño

Rías Baixas (REE-us BYE-shas) is known all over the world for being the home of Albariño: a crisp, saline, acidic white wine that pairs with everything that comes from the sea. But it’s not just Albariño, and it’s not just white wine. Rías Baixas has a lot to offer. Ready to learn more? Read on for …