If there is one thing that Galicia is famous for, it has to be its delicious gastronomy and wine is a fundamental part of that. The different wines with the Rias Baixas denomination of origin are, without a doubt, the ideal pairing for the area’s typical dishes.
In the lower part of Galicia, spectacular vineyards stretch across the fertile fields which harvest some of the country’s best grapes. They offer both locals and visitors exquisite wines to try. Would you like to know which are the best ones? We’ll tell you. 😉
Rías Baixas Denomination of Origin
The Rias Baixas D.O is one of Galicia’s five denominations of origin and it stands out for having the most wineries (more than 180). In addition, it is the most important in terms of area, production and brands. The Rias Baixas D.O. is divided into five sub-areas which share similar characteristics: Condado do Tea, O Rosal, Soutomaior and Val do Salnés, in Pontevedra, and Ribeira do Ulla, in A Coruña. Between them all they make up 4000 hectares of vineyards which produce more than 400 different types of wines.
Below, we show you some of the wineries and vineyards so you can discover them when you come to visit the Rías Baixas.
Bodega Mar de Frades
Mar de Frades is a winery which is more than 30 years old and is situated in the Albariño wine region par excellence, el Val do Salnés.
This winery has been producing wine from Albariño grapes since 1987. Since then, it has won numerous awards such as the “best Albariño” in Decanter magazine’s prestigious international awards “Decanter World Wine Awards”.
Its vineyard at Finca Valiñas estate comprises 7 hectares of land located on the slopes of Monte Valiñas, from where you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the Arousa ria.
If you would like to visit this winery, Mar de Frades offers the chance to discover its innovative winery, with its own vineyard, through three guided tours, which include tasting its delicious wines.
Bodegas Quinta Couselo
The Quinta Couselo winery is more than 150 years old and has spent more than 70 years producing an exquisite wine. In its beginnings, the estate belonged to the monks of the Oia Monastery, who frequently came here to rest and enjoy their free time. Years later, in 1844, the estate was taken over by the Vicente family, who bought it at auction and started to produce Rias Baixas D.O. wine.
This winery is situated in the O Rosal valley, bordering the Miño river to the south and the Atlantic sea to the west. It has become the ideal area to grow grapes and produce wine thanks to its characteristic microclimate and its land rich in nutrients.
Its two hectares of vineyard contain different vines: Albariño, Loureira, Treixadura and Caiño Blanco. All of its vines are looked after using practices that safeguard the environment. If you visit this winery, you will be able to go on various tours with different tasting sessions of its variety of wines.
Bodegas Santiago Ruiz
The Santiago Ruiz wineries were founded in the 1980s and are situated in O Rosal, in the area of Baixo Miño. The old winery is situated in San Miguel de Tabagón and is home to a small museum. It is where they make their famous Rosa Ruiz wine. The new winery is situated in Tomiño and has a more experimental approach.
The founder of these wineries, Santiago Ruiz, is considered one of the pioneers of the Rias Baixas D.O.
The wines from this old family winery are of limited production. To produce them, they use the native varieties of grapes; albariño, treixadura, godello, loureira blanca and caíño blanco
To discover these wineries, you can book on the website. It is possible to visit the old winery and its museum and enjoy a tasting session of its wines.
Bodegas Pazo Baión
The Pazo Baión winery is a place with five centuries of history, dating back to the 15th century. This winery is situated in Vilanova de Arousa, in the Salnés valley and is a touchstone of wine tourism.
Nowadays it belongs to the Condes de Albarei brand of wines. Its extensive land is used for growing Albariño grapes, which are used to make an exquisite wine.
Pazo Baión offers five different types of tours and tasting sessions where you will be able to look around the place, discover its incredible history, try its delicious wines and see how they are made.
Bodegas Pazo Quinteiro da Cruz
Quinteiro da Cruz is a small and impeccable winegrowing estate where they make Albariño white wines. This winery is situated in the Salnés valley and has its own vineyard and beautiful gardens with 100 varieties of camellias.
The winery is located inside a stunning stone building. Inside, it has modern equipment which they use to make the wine and store it in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures.
At Pazo Quinteiro da Cruz they only make Albariño wine and with grapes from their own harvest, so the production is modest. They only make 20,000 bottles each year.
If you would like to discover this winery, you can book guided tours where you can enjoy wine tasting and sampling.
Bodegas La Val
Bodegas La Val is situated in Salvaterra de Miño, in the County of do Tea, a sub-area to the south of Pontevedra and which borders Portugal. This winery is one of the pioneering wineries of the Rias Baixas D.O.
La Val was founded in O Rosal in 1985 and moved to Salvaterra in 2003 where they have thrived in their winemaking activity. Nowadays the vineyards of Bodegas La Val cover a total surface area of 53 hectares and are spread between 2 main estates: Finca Taboexa, where they have vineyards of the Albariño variety, and Finca Porto, where they grow Albariño, Treixadura and Lourero vines.
This winery offers different types of guided tours, depending on the preference of each visitor, where you can visit the winery and its vineyards. You can also attend technical wine tasting sessions with the oenologist that makes the wines. You even have the option of enjoying a genuine wine tourism experience where visitors can learn how to harvest grapes.
Bodegas Martín Códax
The landmark Martín Códax winery can be found in the Salnés valley, specifically in the small town of Cambados, known as the Albariño capital. This winery opened its doors in 1986 and owes its name to one of the most famous Galician troubadours of the 12th century.
If you visit the winery, you will be able to learn about the winemaking process in detail on a guided tour. The tour includes an olfactory sensory experience with a spotlight on the essences and aromas that characterise its exquisite and fresh wines. You will be able to try them paired with Galician cheeses and delicious preserves. Additionally, you will be able to enjoy Galician cuisine with a quality menu in one of the best restaurants of the area which is very near to the winery.
All of these wineries offer similar experiences, which are comprehensive and extremely interesting. We encourage you to visit them and enjoy a wine with a unique character while you also enjoy the landscape of Galicia’s most beautiful areas. These include, for example, the Cíes Islands 😉 or the Island of Ons.
