Wine routes in Galicia

Wine routes in Galicia

If you are a wine lover, Galicia has a lot to offer. There are five wine regions, Rías Baixas, O Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Monterrei and Valdeorras.

Each of these regions have created a suggested route for visitors to follow for those interested in learning more about the wines from this region. If you need more help in preparing your visit to these wine regions and are interested in having a guide with you, you should also have a look at these Wine Tour packages.

Festivals and Leisure in Galicia

Festivals and Leisure in Galicia

In this blog we have mentioned many Festivals and “Fiestas” in Galicia. If you would like to search these festivals for specific dates, have a look at this page on the Turgalicia website.

Other leisure related resources on the Turgalicia website that you might find interesting are: Language tourism, Marina Tourism, Birding, Wine tourism and an interesting section on the Mountain Bike Centre.

Open day at the winery

Open day at the winery

On saturday May 26th (2012) more than 60 Galicia wineries will celebrate “Open Day” were wine lovers can stop by and get a tour of these wineries. The participating wineries are located in the regions of Monterrei, O Ribeiro, Rías  Baixas, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras. Please consult this pdf document for details of each of these wineries (the document is in Gallego but all wineries listed are participating).

In addition to the wineries opening up their doors this day, the local restaurants also have decided to do something special. Each of them (also listed in the pdf document above) will have a special menu for visitors (including local wines), costing €25. A children’s menu for €10,- for those under 12 years of age will also be available.

In Ribadavia and Monforte there will also be guided tours of the old town.

All should be set for a great saturday, enjoying Galician cuisine!

O Ribeiro Wine Fair – Exhibition

Ribadavia (Ourense)

The date of this fair varies, although it is normally held in early May, on a site boasting the stately homes of the nobility and churches with charming towers as well as the more humble dwellings of the winemakers. Ribadavia is imbued with the very essence of the local “ribeiros”, and particularly those that lived on the banks of the Avia, the river that flows between the terraced vineyards or “socalcos” where the grapes of the Pazos de Arenteiro, Leiro and Beade ripen, on its way to join the Miño in Ribadavia. The city grew up around the Sarmiento family castle, and boasts a Jewish quarter complete with ancient wine cellars, a cool freshness and something of a pagan sanctuary and authentic local associations. Continue reading »

Valdeorras Wine Route

Valdeorras is the most Eastern region of the province of Ourense, limiting with León. The wealth in natural resources and the lands fertility made Valdeorras a reception area of many peoples along history. There are abundant remains from the megalithic era in the Natural Park of the “Serra da Enciña da Lastra”, besides the rock strokes and the petroglyphs of Valdegodos, Petín and San Esteban de A Rúa Vella. The arrival of the Romans substantially changed the valley, because they moved population centers to the plains and built one of the most important roads of the Iberian Peninsula, the “Vía XVIII” or “Vía Nova” [later used as Camino Real or Camino de Invierno (Winter Way) on the Saint James Way].

Bridges like those of the Bibei River, tombstones like that of A Rúa Vella, A Cigarrosa’s mosaics and milestones, form part of the Roman imperial legacy; although its most singular piece of work is the tunnel at Montefurado, excavated in order to divert the river’s course to extract the gold it dragged and today it is a place with a great touristic attraction and can be seen from a few meters above from the N-120 road. Subsequently, in the XVII century the spectacular Sanctuary of As Ermitas stands out surrounded by ancient terraced vineyards, that nowadays have become one of the most important places of cult in this area. The region is composed by nine municipalities: A Rúa, O Barco, Rubiá, Petin, O Bolo, Carballeda, Larouco, Vilamartín and A Veiga. Almost all of them have wine farms that give this territory a unique singularity. Continue reading »

One passion, five traditions

Wine routes in Galicia

Dive into the world of wine and get to know Galicia through its flavours, colours and tastes. Here one can enjoy unique settings combined with the pleasure of this millennial tradition, which in Galicia has these five denominations of origin: Monterrei, O Ribeiro, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras; five territories which today open their doors to the best of what Galicia has to offer. Continue reading »