Regional Profile – Galicia

Galicia is made up of four provinces: La Coruna, Lugo, Orense and Pontevedra, and its capital is Santiago de Compostela. The climate of Galicia is warm and wet along the coast, but as you go inland it becomes drier as the landscape changes. This varied landscape and climate is surely one of the explanations behind the wide variety of wines that can be found here, and the fact that this autonomous community is home to five different Denominaciones de Origen: Rias Baixas, Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Monterrei, and Valdeorras. Arguably the most famous of these is Rias Baixas, sometimes referred to interchangeably by the name of its star grape, Albariño, followed by Ribeiro which is about the same size (2,500 hectares). The other three denominations are about half the size. In addition to Albariño, other grapes that are considered autoctona (native) to the region are Godello, Treixadura, Loureiro, and Torrontes for whites, and Caiño, Souson, Espadeiro, Brancellao, and the better known Mencia, which produces vibrant and fruity reds in Ribera Sacra and Valdeorras.

See a map of Galicia here.