Rías Baixas

The specification says Albariño has been grown in the Rías Baixas for more than a thousand years, though its origin is disputed. The council records the story that Cluny monks brought it to the monastery of Armenteira in the twelfth century as folklore. Both credit Cistercian monks, who came with the Way of Saint James or with the Burgundian dynasty after Raymond of Burgundy married Queen Urraca, with teaching local growers. After the confiscations that began in 1798, production moved to noble estates (pazos).

On 11 October 1980 the state recognised the Denominación Específica Albariño; its rules followed on 30 April 1984. The Galician government provisionally recognised the Rías Baixas designation on 17 March 1988, approved its rules on 4 July and the Ministry ratified it on 28 July 1988, with three subzones: Val do Salnés, Condado do Tea and O Rosal. Soutomaior was added in October 1996 and Ribeira do Ulla in May 2000.

The designation lies at about 42° N and 8° W in Pontevedra and A Coruña, on land that rarely rises above 300 m, close to the sea and to the lower courses of the Ulla, Umia, Oitavén, Xabriña and Miño with its tributaries the Tea and the Louro. The climate is markedly Atlantic: mild temperatures between 10 and 25 °C, four distinct seasons, small swings and about 1,300 mm of rain a year, falling sharply in summer. Relief, exposure and distance from the sea or rivers make the five subzones differ.

The land belongs to the Hercynian orogeny. Soils on granite dominate, with others on schist and on Quaternary alluvium. Most are poor in weatherable minerals, sandy to sandy-loam, acid, heavily leached of magnesium, calcium and potassium, poor in nutrients and fairly shallow. They hold little water and dry out in summer. Growers have long fought erosion and fertilised carefully.

The specification describes a ripening season with modest sunshine, medium temperatures, less rain and slight water stress. This balance, it says, gives wines known more for the concentration and variety of their acids and for their aroma than for alcohol. Albariño can build enough sugar to pass 13% alcohol in good years while keeping an acidity that few varieties reach, with aromatic compounds that make its wines easy to recognise. The rules list apple, citrus, white flowers (rose), ripe fruit and green notes among the descriptors. Spring and summer warmth and humidity drive strong vine growth. The traditional high pergola (emparrado) keeps foliage away from damp ground, limits fungal disease and allows other crops underneath; vines often edge plots of maize or potatoes.

The designation is for still white wines and, much less, reds, plus quality sparkling wine. White grapes are Albariño, Treixadura, Loureira (Loureiro Blanco or Marqués), Caíño Blanco, Torrontés, Godello and Ratiño. Red grapes are Caíño Tinto, Espadeiro, Loureiro Tinto, Sousón, Mencía, Brancellao, Pedral and Castañal. A wine labelled Rías Baixas Albariño is 100% Albariño. Subzone names require at least 70% of named varieties: Albariño and Treixadura for Condado do Tea; Albariño, Loureira and Caíño Blanco for Rosal; these and Treixadura for Salnés. "Barrica" whites age in casks of up to 600 litres, with the time stated on the label. Sparkling wines are made only by second fermentation in bottle.

In 2022 the designation had more than 4,300 ha in 22,800 plots worked by more than 5,000 growers. Albariño gave over 96% of the recent harvests; red grapes less than 1%.