Ribeiro is a Spanish
Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) (''Denominación de Orixe Protexida'' in
Galician) for wines located in the northwest of the province of
Ourense
Ourense (; es, Orense ) is a city and capital of the province of Ourense, located in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, northwestern Spain. It is on the Camino Sanabrés path of the Way of St ...
(
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
,
Spain), in the valleys formed by the rivers
Miño,
Arnoia, and
Avia
Avia Motors s.r.o. is a Czech automotive manufacturer. It was founded in 1919 as an aircraft maker, and diversified into trucks after 1945. As an aircraft maker it was notable for producing biplane fighter aircraft, especially the B-534. Avia ...
. It has an area of 30 km
2 including 9 municipalities in their entirety and parts of four others.
History
Ribeiro has a long tradition of producing and exporting wine from the Galician Atlantic ports. It is believed that the first vineyards were planted by the
ancient Romans. From the
Middle Ages up to the 18th century, the area was renowned for its sweet wines (''vinos tostados''), which were produced here long before they were produced in the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
or in
Andalusia. They were made from sun-dried grapes and were known as ''Ribadavia''. They were drunk by the pilgrims passing through the area on their way to
Santiago. Significant quantities of white fortified ''Ribadavia'' wines were exported to England in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Nowadays, white Ribeiro wines are known for their fresh, slightly acidic, fruity character.
Soils
The vineyards are at altitudes of between 75 and 400 m above sea level in the valleys and on the slopes which can sometimes be very steep. The use of terraces (known locally as ''socalcos'' or bocaribeiras) is common.
The soils are deep (between 70 and 100 cm) and basically of granitic origin with a significant content of stones and gravel,
which improve the structure of the soil and reflect sunlight onto the vines.
The soil texture is mainly sandy. Organic matter content varies between 2% and 4%. The soils in the area have a tendency to acidify, and this is corrected by the grape growers.
Climate
The climate is a transition zone between oceanic and Mediterranean, so it is humid and temperate, with average annual temperatures of 14.5 °C. The grapes generally have no problem ripening and conserve all their aroma and acidity. In addition, there are natural barriers that protect the area from Atlantic storms.
Average annual rainfall is high (950 mm) though there are three months in the summer when it is very sparse.
The vines receive a maximum of around 1900 hours of sunlight per year.
Grapes
White wine represents about 95% of the wine produced, and is most commonly produced with the
Treixadura variety. The Recommended white grapes are:
Treixadura,
Torrontés,
Godello
Godello is a white variety of wine grape grown in northwestern Spain, in particular in Galicia. The Gouveio found in northern Portugal is thought to be the same grape variety.
The origins of Godello variety are located in the town of Gode ...
,
Loureira,
Albariño
Alvarinho () or Albariño () is a variety of white wine grape grown in Northwest Portugal (Monção and Melgaço) and Galicia (northwest Spain) where it is also used to make varietal white wines. In Portugal it is known as Alvarinho, and some ...
; also authorized are
Palomino
Palomino is a genetic color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail; the degree of whiteness can vary from bright white to yellow. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called t ...
,
Albillo
Albillo or Albillo Real is a white Spanish wine grape variety[Albillo Real](_blank)
,