Galicia

Galicia, a region of quintessential charm, is positioned in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, sharing its borders with Portugal to the south and France to the north. The region, known globally for the popular Santiago de Compostela, is split into four provinces: Lugo, Ourense, Coruña, and Pontevedra. Galicia's geographical characteristics allow it to host five distinctive denominations of origin: Rías Baixas, Valdeorras, Monterrei, Ribeiro, and Ribeira Sacra. Out of these, Ribeiro, Rías Baixas, and Valdeorras are the most significant in terms of quality and production.
Ribeiro's vineyards span across 3000 hectares of land with a climate showcasing Atlantic temperatures. The terrain is predominantly acidic and chalky, nurturing grape varieties like Loureira, Treixadura, Torrontes (white), and Brancellao and Caiño tinto (red). The wines produced here are fresh, light, and highly aromatic, with a lively acidity.
Rías Baixas, translating to 'low fjords', is a region with a maritime and Atlantic climate. It encompasses 4000 hectares of granitic terrain, hosting grape varieties such as albariño, caiño tinto (red), torrontes, caiño blanco (white), and brancellao. The wines are characteristically intense and fruity.
Valdeorras, on the eastern side of Galicia, is known for its Godello grape - a white grape variety that produces persistent, fruity, and juicy wines.

Region	Galicia
Country	Spain
Climate and soil	Galicia is characterized by an ancient crystalline massif, which peaks at nearly 1800 meters and slopes towards the Atlantic Ocean. The region's rivers have carved valleys into the landscape, which are submerged by marine waters at their terminal points, resulting in a jagged coastline dotted with wide inlets known as rías. The climate is predominantly temperate oceanic, heavily influenced by the Atlantic, with slight annual temperature variations and high rainfall, usually exceeding 1000 mm per year, and often reaching nearly 2000 mm near the coast. The primary river is the Miño, which is relatively short but abundant in water. The population is dense in the coastal provinces of La Coruña and Pontevedra, while it is sparse in the internal provinces of Lugo and Orense. The most significant urban centers in the region are Vigo and La Coruña.