Written by: Krešimir Kožić, Vinski klub
When someone mentions Spain to you, the first things that come to mind are probably the sun, the warm Mediterranean climate, paella, bullfighting, a fiery temperament and, of course, football. The wine that springs to mind is Rioja – red, naturally. Yet in the country’s far north-west lies the region of Galicia, the complete opposite of the rest of Spain. Judging by the sheer greenery and the climate, it could just as easily be Ireland.
Galician wines are today probably the most exciting in Spain. They are utterly different from the country’s other wines. The history of winemaking in Galicia reaches back to Roman times. Wine was produced continuously until the 19th century and the arrival of phylloxera, which destroyed half the vineyards and threatened production.
Throughout the last century wine was made in relatively small volumes and consumed mostly locally. It was only with Spain’s entry into the European Union that a major revival of Galician winemaking began.
The local climate is very rainy and shaped by the Atlantic Ocean. Yet the number of sunshine hours is high, providing a counterweight to the rainfall. The soils are mostly granite in the west of the province and slate in the east. That difference is easily felt in the glass – wines from granite are lively and “tense”, while those from slate are somewhat fuller and more complex.
The main grape varieties of Galicia are:
- whites – albarino, godello, donna blanca, loureira and treixadura
- reds – mencia and caino tinto
There are five important subregions of Galicia: Monterrei, Rias Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro and Valdeorras.
Monterrei sits right on the border with Portugal and is known for donna blanca, godello and mencia. Rias Baixas lies on the ocean coast itself and is famed for albarino, which there accounts for over 90% of total wine production. Ribeira Sacra is in south-eastern Galicia and best known for mencia. Ribeiro, further west, is dominated mainly by albarino, caino tinto and treixadura. Valdeorras, in the north-east, is best known for godello and mencia.
The winemakers most responsible for Galicia’s revival and international recognition are Rafael Palacios of the eponymous winery – brother of the far better-known Alvaro Palacios – who has done a great deal for the success of godello. His years of studying old vineyards and acquiring them in the Valdeorras region were of decisive importance for godello’s global success. It is one of the few white varieties to have earned a prestigious 100 points from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, for the Sorte O Soro wine from the 2020 vintage. Godello is today rightly regarded as a wine that can stand comparison with serious white Burgundy.
What is albarino like? It is a high-acid, highly mineral variety dominated by stone fruit, and with every sip you can sense the Atlantic in the glass. It is a variety that will appeal to lovers of riesling and sauvignon blanc alike. Eulogio Pomares of the Zarate winery and Rodrigo Mendes of Forjas del Salnes are among the most influential and currently most exciting producers working with albarino.
Mencia is likewise a strikingly interesting red variety dominated by aromas of violet, anise and blackcurrant. It always shows high acidity with a fine tannic structure. The wines are generally reminiscent of a cross between pinot noir and Etna Rosso. It too has earned a prestigious 100 points from the same critic. Here we should also mention Raul Perez of the eponymous winery and Gregory Perez of the Mengoba winery as very important Galician producers.
Minimal intervention, spontaneous fermentation and organic sustainability in the vineyard are the rule rather than the exception in this Spanish region.
All Galician wines are wonderfully food-friendly and are gaining ever greater popularity in Michelin restaurants around the world.
To the readers of Vinski klub we warmly recommend discovering the unusual world of Galician wines. They are best got to know without haste – glass by glass, style by style. So there is nothing left to do but open a bottle and let these wines do what they do best: tell the story of the wind, the sea and the land they come from.
