Galicia (35)

Over Stock and Over Wine - the Camino de Santiago leads to Galicia

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia and a pilgrimage site. It has become extremely popular in Germany, especially due to Hape Kerkeling's travel report on the Camino de Santiago. Many European pilgrimage routes head towards the heart of Galicia. Here, the cozy restaurants in the splendid old town offer their wine from Galicia. Relaxing with a glass of fragrant Albariño from Rías Baixas DO is fabulous. A red Mencía also pairs very well when a first impression of the wine from Galicia is to be formed. Travelers cross the village of Arzúa on their way to the (presumed) grave of the Apostle James in Santiago de Compostela. It consists of cozy, small villages.

Galician Cuisine: A Feast for the Palate and Gourmet

Galician cuisine is simple yet offers a delicious meal and full-bodied wine for all gourmets. Characteristic is the distinct maritime note of the dishes and the zesty white wines, which harmonize excellently with the hearty fish dishes. The Atlantic provides Galicia with fish, shrimp, octopus, crabs, and a rich variety of shellfish. These are often prepared with tasty vegetables and served with a sparkling white Ribeiro or Albariño. Other typical dishes from Galicia include Polbo á feira, which is boiled octopus seasoned with salt, paprika, and oil. Furthermore, Pimientos de Padrón are known here as green frying peppers. The dessert Tarta de Santiago is a sweet, perfectly baked almond cake that originates from the capital of the Galician community. The locals season their dishes sparingly, thus highlighting the pure character notes of the maritime and sun-kissed cuisine.

Galicia is the Green Spain

La España verde – the green Spain in the northwest. The climatic conditions keep Galicia green all year round. Particularly in autumn and winter, a very mild and humid climate can be observed in the wine-growing region of Galicia. For all of Spain, no other region receives more rain than Galicia. With its hilly landscape and moderate, pleasant hours of sunshine in summer, it offers optimal conditions for the development of robust grapevines. The green Spain is bordered to the west by the blue Atlantic and to the east lies the rugged Cantabrian Mountains. Some fine sandy coastal sections are interspersed with beautiful marine inlets, and the nutrient-rich estuaries extend far into the Galician mainland. The self-governing community has magnificent forest areas that make up nearly a third of the entire forest resources of the Spanish nation. Here, even eucalyptus grows.

Selected Quality Criteria for Wine from Galicia

Wine from Galicia has several quality requirements. In order for a Galician wine to be allowed to be labeled as D.O., several criteria specified in the regulations must be met, including:

● Yield per hectare

● Pruning

● Grape variety

● Production

● Sugar

● Alcohol content

The Terroir of the Galician Wine Region Rías Baixas

Rías are the fjords that extend deep into the inland of the autonomous community of Galicia. Rías Baixas are the lower fjords when the sonorous name of the wine region is translated literally. Due to the Atlantic and the hilly area, sun and rain, occasionally also fog, alternately affect the slopes. These are excellent conditions for white grapes. Granite and slate are typically found in the soils. Clay, sand, and gravel enrich them with important minerals.

Galicia and the Costa da Morte were the End of the World

Costa da Morte means "Coast of Death." Before America was discovered, the popular Cape Finisterre in the west of the Galician province of A Coruña was considered the end of the world. The ominous name of the coastal section is indeed justified. The Costa da Morte is an opaque and challenging coastline, characterized by rocky cliffs and many small islands, where shipwrecks still occur today. The view from the cliffs is nevertheless picturesque: Warm sunsets provide the backdrop for a rocky shoreline riddled with cracks and deep fissures, while the wind stirs up the nearby grain fields.

Things to Know About Galician Wine

Which white grape varieties are commonly found in Galicia?

In the well-known D.O. wine regions, there are numerous white grape varieties that make up the majority of the wines produced in the entire Galicia region. White grape varieties that are vinified include, for example, Treixadura, Palomino, Godello, Albariño, Doña Blanca, Torrontés, Loureiro Blanco (Marques), and Macabeo.

Where do the red Galician grape varieties come from?

Even though the beautiful wine-growing region of Galicia mainly vinifies white grape varieties, the charismatic red grape varieties are a delight in their own right. From the Ribeiro wine region, near the northern Portuguese border, come Tempranillo, Brancellao, or Mencía. The latter red grape variety is particularly characteristic of the Ribeira Sacra wine region. More than 85% of all red varieties are Mencía and sometimes mature in terraced vineyards in the southwest to full flavor. In the province of Ourense lies the wine region of Valdeorras. The valley also promotes Mencía, but also Cabernet Sauvignon, Merenzao, or Gran Negro.

Why is the white grape variety Godello from Galicia so famous?

The indigenous grape variety Godello is still widely known today because it was nearly completely destroyed by the phylloxera in the 1970s. There were fewer than a thousand vines left of this elegant white grape. However, in the Valdeorras wine region, it was successfully managed to rescue the remaining vines, propagate them, and make them known worldwide. Godello has notes of apricots and fresh green apples, giving it a particularly fruity acidity. The white grape variety is generally rare, which encourages savvy Galician winemakers to vinify it due to its exclusivity and fame.

Buy Wines from Galicia Online at VINELLO

Our online wine store offers a large selection of Galician wines. You can find dry, zesty white wines like As Sortes 2018 from the Rafael Galacios winery on VINELLO.de. Black and red berries make the dry Avanthia Mencía 2009 particularly fruity for the palate. Our service and shop are very customer-friendly: Convenient payment, fast and secure shipping almost worldwide.

Do you have questions or requests? Feel free to contact us! You can reach us by email at [email protected], and our phone number is 0351 – 469 256 55. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram @vinello_wine. Enjoy with us!