It’s common to hear Valdeorras called the “gateway to Galicia,” and for good reason: the Romans passed through Valdeorras on their way from Braga in Portugal to Astorga in modern-day Castilla y León, moving people and goods across the ancient province of Gallaecia. Centuries later, the very first railroad to connect Galicia with the rest of Spain made Valdeorras its first Galician stop.
This region 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.
Ready to learn more about Valdeorras? Let’s keep going…
A Little Geography
Valdeorras is located in the extreme east of the province of Ourense, on the border with the Bierzo region in Castilla y León. Its 1,113 hectares of vineyards spread out over the low and fertile river valley formed by the Sil and extend to the north and south up into the mountainous territory surrounding the valley.
Valdeorras’ terrain is marked primarily by the contrast between the Sil River valley and the higher ground that surrounds it.
The Sil River flows from east to west through a long, flat-bottomed valley created by tectonic processes millions of years ago.
This river valley isn’t totally symmetrical: on the right bank of the river, alluvial plains and gentle slopes spread out from the riverbank near A Rúa and Petín, and the flatlands around O Barco and Vilamartín continue north along the Cigüeño river towards Rubiá in the north. On the other hand, along the Sil’s left bank to the south, mountains rise up quite rapidly as elevations change from 300 meters in the bottom of the valley to almost 1,300 meters at the tops of the peaks.
Valdeorras is protected to the northeast by the Serra da Enciña da Lastra, which forms the border with León. To the southwest, the Serra do Eixe rises up all the way to Pena Trevinca, the highest peak in Galicia at 2,127 meters, and to the west, the Cereixido Mountains form a natural border between Valdeorras and neighboring Quiroga in the Ribeira Sacra appellation.
Leaving the Sil river valley, vines are planted on higher plateaus of the ancient fluvial terraces and on the slopes of other, steeper valleys carved out of the mountains that rise steadily toward the south. Near the town of O Bolo, the Bibei River passes through an area where some of Valdeorras’ most lauded producers like Valdesil, A Coroa, Rafael Palacios and Telmo Rodriguez have chosen to work. The steep slopes near the church of As Ermidas mirror the slopes of Ribeira Sacra with their steep granite terraces and sandy soils.
Valdeorras' Rivers
The Sil, Xares, Bibei, Cigüeño, and Casaio all flow through valleys tucked between higher ground, creating cooler microclimates that offset the region’s hot summers.
The Sil River begins in the Sierra Cantabria and flows through Bierzo in Castilla y León before entering Galicia. In Valdeorras, millions of years of erosion have carved out the river valley and left different levels called fluvial terraces along its sides.
The Bibei River forms the boundary between Valdeorras and Ribera Sacra, and flows past steep terraced slopes covered with vines. The granite soils of the valley produce some of the most stunning wines in Valdeorras. And it’s not just the scenery that’s stunning– the 18th-century Galician Baroque church of As Ermidas has watched over generations of labor in the vineyards.
Valdeorras' Climate
The climate here is Mediterranean-oceanic (like the rest of Galicia, Valdeorras still has an Atlantic influence) with cold winters, warm summers and mild autumns and springs.
On average, the region sees minimum temperatures of 8º C and maximum temps of 33º C, with an average yearly temperature of 11º C. Rainfall levels range between 850 and 1,000 mm per year.
Within this general view, we can split Valdeorras’ climate into two similar but unique categories:
- An Oceanic-Mediterranean climate, characterized by shifts in temperature of over 15 C which give rise to hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation levels are among the lowest in Galicia, with the most rain falling in winter.
- An Oceanic-Mountain climate, found in higher-altitude areas and characterized by low temperatures and higher levels of precipitation.
Valdeorras' Soils
The soils of Valdeorras vary, moving between alluvial and ferrous clay, slate, and sandy granitic depending on the zone.
Alluvial Soils
These soils are mostly found near the Sil river. Around O Barco and A Rúa, where sediments dragged along by the Sil River combine with silty clay made from soil brought down slopes with rain, soils are loamy with deep veins of clay. These nutrient-rich soils are good for large-scale viticulture, but not ideal for expressing the varietal characteristics of each grape.
The fluvial terraces carved by the Sil over millions of years are perched between 4 to 10 meters above the current level of the river. They appear in places like Entoma, Sobradelo, Viloira and Valencia do Sil, and their soils are made up of round gravel, sand, clay, and silt. These soils have good drainage, retain heat well, and make wines with lower acidity by keeping the temperature high at night.
Ferrous Clay
These soils are very common in the higher-altitude areas of A Rúa, Vilamartín and Rubiá. They retain a lot of water, which lowers soil temperature. The highest quality wines in this type of soil come from clay mixed with silica or silt, since nutrient-rich clay helps keep production balanced.
Limestone
Limestone outcrops are found in the northern half of the region, near O Barco and Rubiá. These are clay-calcareous soils, and they have the advantage of absorbing water like sponges in winter and closing in summer to retain moisture. Wines from limestone soils can be very high quality with potential for aging and intense varietal characteristics.
Granite
As we move south and gain elevation, the amount of granite steadily increases. Although there’s some granite to be found near A Rúa, it becomes the dominant rock around Petín, Larouco, and O Bolo. Granitic soils in these areas are looser than the clay-heavy soils of the bottom of the valley, with a sandy-loam texture. They radiate heat during the day and cool down sooner at night, which means the grapes can produce more sugar during the day and not lose acidity at night. Wines from these soils are floral and mineral, and highly expressive.
Slate
Slate provides Valdeorras with its main non-vinous economic export, so it makes sense that a huge part of the area’s soils are slate-heavy. Slate soils are shallow, with lots of stones on the surface. Vines grown in these soils make aromatic and savory wines that tend to be more alcoholic and robust.
Wines from Valdeorras
Valdeorras makes four styles of wines: white, red, sparkling, and tostado, but the last two rarely leave Galicia.
White wines from Valdeorras are usually single-variety Godello wines, or made from a blend of Godello and other traditional Galician varieties. They come in two main styles: riper wines with notes of golden apple, peach, and tropical fruits, and fresh wines that tend towards green apple, vegetal notes of hay, and ripe citrus fruit.
Red wines from Valdeorras are usually made from Mencía. They range in acidity and alcohol, but usually have aromas of ripe red cherry, raspberry, and blackberry.
After phylloxera devastated Valdeorras in the 19th century, many of its traditional varieties were almost lost, including Godello.
Luckily, the grape made a comeback because of the hard work of Horacio Fernández, José Luis Bartolomé, and others.
Their ReViVal project brought the grape back from near extinction and created Bodegas Godeval, which produced the first single-variety Godello wine.
Did you enjoy this article? Check out this deep dive into Valdeorras’ history.