The Ribeira Sacra Wine Route

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The Ribeira Sacra Wine Route extends its territory between the provinces of Lugo and Ourense, Its natural border is formed by the gorge profiling the course of the river Sil. It is formed by a rugged terrain covering 1200 ha.

Ribeira Sacra comes from the word “ribeira” which means river bank this is because the river canyons make the growing of vines the only agricultural work possible on the banks of the rivers. Ribeira is understood ro mean the banks of rivers Sil and Miño, and their respective tributaries.

This is a vast territory, which is marked by the deep valleys and steep slopes that the Sil and Miño rivers have forged. This terrain and the vines adaptation to the environment is the reason that today the wine industry in Ribeira Sacra is known as "heroic agriculture."

The vines are cultivated on terraces, to compensate for the especially steep and uneven slopes that form the unmistakable “staircases” that symbolise the Ribeira Sacra.

The Structure of the Ribeira Sacra wine industry.

The final endorsement of Appellation of Origin came in 1996. As regards the ownership structure, the vast majority are considered to be small producers, i.e., those with a production of less than 30,000 litres. 14% belong to the group of medium-sized producers, whose volume is between 30,000 and 100,000 litres. Only 7% of wine growers form the group of large producers, those producing over 100,000 litres.

From the beginning the appellation, , bet on young year old wines, mostly reds, achieving a highly regarded place within the appellations of the country. Some wineries also put on the market remarkable whites.

The care in choosing the grape, the native varieties, and the rigour in quality control, has made possible the prestige that Ribeira Sacra holds in both Galicia and Spain. As a result of its success it is now taking its first steps onto the international stage.

Ribeira Sacra has its wine as its calling card. It is what harmonizes incredible scenery made up of Atlantic flora with, the Sil Valley and its Mediterranean vegetation, As a whole it combines a wealth of Romanesque monuments with spectacular river valleys, it is the clearest expression of how respect for tradition can and should combine with modern ways of understanding the world of wine.