The tastings for the Xth edition of the Distinciones Gallaecia have just finished in Silleda. The prizes are awarded by the Association of Sommeliers of Galicia “Gallaecia” and they are recognised as an Official Contest by the Ministry of the Countryside and Marine Environment of the Spanish Government.


On this occasion 44 wines were “Distiguidos Gallaecia” of which 16 were reds. The D.O. Ribeira Sacra were awarded 8 “Distinguidos Gallaecia”, for 7 red wines and 1 white wine, taking almost half of the awards on behalf of the red wines. Mercedes González, President of Gallaecia, stated that the red wines were outstanding, receiving higher points in some cases than the white wines.

After initial tastings within the different D.O.s, a 107 wines went through to the final tasting in Silleda, with 44 receiving awards.

The awards for the D.O. Ribeira Sacra were as follows:

White wines:

REGINA VIARUM 2009,REGINA VIARUM S.L. (subzona Amandi)

Red Wines:

CASA NOGUEDO 2009, MARCOS FERNÁNDEZ, RAMÓN (subzona Amandi)
CONDADO DE SEQUEIRAS 2006, GRUPO PEAGO (subzona Chantada)
ESTRELA 2009, CARLOS DÍAZ DÍAZ (subzona Amandi)
QUINTA DE ALVARADO 2009, AS OUBENZAS C.B. (subzona Chantada)
REGINA EXPRESIÓN 2007, REGINA VIARUM S.L. (subzona de Amandi)
SAÍÑAS 2009, JAVIER FERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ (subzona Ribeiras del Miño)
VIÑA REGUEIRAL 2009, JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ PRIETO (subzona Amandi)


In the D.O. Ribeira Sacra the awards will be presented on the 8th of September at 10:00 at the Ribeira Sacra Wine Centre.

The competition took place from the 1st to the 3rd of July. The D.O. contributed 27 samples from 19 bodegas, of the 27 samples, 12 received prizes, as well as these the Ribeira Sacra once again received the Cervim Special Prize. The competition has the following prize categories: grand gold medal, gold medal and silver medal. As well as the prizes any wine that receives more than 80 points out of a 100 gets a special mention of honours. The D.O. Ribeira Sacra received 10 gold medals, surpassing the results of last year, which had been considered a success.


The 10 gold medals went to:

Regina Viarum 2009, Regina Viarum S.L. (subzona de Amandi)
Portelo 2009, Terras de Líncora S.C.(subzona de Chantada)
Almalarga 2009, Pena das Donas S.L. (subzona de Ribeiras do Miño)
Viña Regueiral 2009 , José Rodríguez Prieto (subzona de Amandi)
S.A.T. Virxe dos Remedios (subzona Ribeiras do Miño)
Don Bernardino 2009, Emilio Rodríguez Díaz (subzona de Amandi)
Cardenal Rodrigo de Castro 2009, Bodega Soutelo S.L. (subzona de Amandi)
Adega Vella mencía 2009 , Jorge Feijoo González (subzona de Ribeiras do Sil)
Vía Romana, Adegas e Viñedos Vía Romana S.L. (subzona de Chantada)
Cividade 2009, José Ramón Verao Pérez (subzona de Amandi)

As well as the above, two D.O. wines gained silver medals:

Décima 2009 , José Manuel Rodríguez González (subzona de Amandi)
Don Bernardindo 2007 Emilio Rodríguez Díaz (subzona de Amandi)

The list of winners from the Denominación de Origen Ribeira Sacra this year is completed by the Cervim Special Prize 2010 that went to Regina Viarum S.L. (subregion of Amandi), who had already won this prestigious prize the previous year. This prize is given to one bodega from each country and is the total of the sum of the points obtained by the different wines presented by each bodega.

In September representatives of the C.R.D.O.R.S. will go to Aosta to collect the awards that will finally be given to the prize winners at the Christmas meal that is organised every year by the Regulatory Council.

The competition of Aosta is always a rewarding event for the D.O. Ribeira Sacra, there our wines compete with hundreds of wines from all over the world, all of them having in common that they are produced in areas of steep hills or mountain regions, it is a way of giving prestige to and distinguishing this type of viticulture. Every year the results of the D.O. are spectacular, and the constant improvement and development of the wines that are made here are reflected in the fact that each year the wines of the Ribeira Sacra receive better and better results at this competition. The year 2010 resulted in 13 prizes for the D.O. and this number does not make us suspicious about the future.

For the third time in two years, the German journalist Jürgen Mathab, has visited the D.O. Ribeira Sacra. Jürgen Mathab is in Galicia from the 15th until the 19th of June getting to know more about the Galician D.O.s in order to produce a dossier about Galician wines that will be published in the magazine, Weinwirtschaft, the leading magazine of the wine sector in Germany. The initiative is part of the IGAPE in Düsseldorf.

In the Ribeira Sacra, Jürgen Mathab visited some of the bodegas that are working within the German market or that have sufficient capacity for exportation. During the day he tasted different wines and referenced them according to grape variety, year of production, number of bottles produced for the market, price for exportation,.....

Jürgen Mathab has specialised in Spanish wines for some time now and he says that in the last few years the region of Galicia has grabbed his attention when talking about wine production. ''I have grown close to Galicia'', he says.

For this German journalist the wines of the Ribeira Sacra are easy drinking, fruity, pleasant tasting, fresh,...He likes the red wines but has been pleasantly surprised by the white wines, to the point of asking ''If these are the kind of white wines they make here,...why aren´t they making more of them?''

For Jürgen Mathab the most special aspect of the Ribeira Sacra is the landscape ''incredible, spectacular, only a few places in the world can compare with the viticulture in the Ribeira Sacra. This landscape can be tasted in the wine.'' On this point he thinks that the best way to sell the wine to the outside world is to show them the terrain, to develop wine based tourism, and in this way promote the wine.

“Wines for exportation have to be wines with character, here they have this, but you always have to continue working, you have to experiment and offer new things. The D.O. has a future and a market that works well, it has exportation potential and to go down this road it needs to present the selling point of its landscape in order to sell the wine.''

It is important that people know of the difficulties and complications of working on the terraces of the Ribeira Sacra in order to understand the price of the wine. At times it has been said that knowing what the work is like here, the wines are cheap, but if you don´t know what work has gone before, our wines can appear expensive and on this point the German journalist said ''The price of the young wines is a handicap when competing in the exportation market''

The results of today's visit to the D.O. Ribeira Sacra can be seen as of the 19th of September in the magazine Weinwirtschaft. It will help to present the Galician wines to Germany and as a prologue to the Prowein festival 2011.

The Parador de Turismo in Monforte was the place chosen to celebrate the closing meal of the XVI edition of the D.O. Ribeira Sacra wine tasting. This event was used to present the prizes for the wines that the 15 tasters, that made up the tasting panel, considered to be the best wines.

In the white wine category there were 9 wines and the winners were:
Third prize: Almalarga de Pena das Donas S.L., Ribeiras do Miño region.
Second prize: Peza do Rei de Adega Cachín S.C., Ribeiras do Sil region.
First prize: Viña Vella de SAT Virxe dos Remedios, Ribeiras do Miño region.

In the category there were 44 samples and the winners were:
Third prize: Quinta de Albarado de As Oubenzas C.B., Chantada region.
Second prize: Veiga do Bacelo de Bodegas Santa María de Nogueira S.L., Chantada region.
First prize: Regina Viarum de Regina Viarum S.L., Amandi region.

For the third year running there was an additional category, wines from previous harvests. There were 13 participants in this category with only one prize which was won by:
Algueira mencía barrica 2007 de Adega Algueira S.L., Amandi region.

The Regulatory Council of the D.O. Ribeira Sacra, presented pieces of pottery from Gundivós (Sober) as its prizes, continuing its tradition of promoting this region and its products.

The tasters from the panel highlighted the quality of the wines from the last harvest, their freshness and the special characteristics that make the wine unique, that is called ''terroir''.

Luis Moreno Buj, specialist magazine contributor, Televisión de Valencia: “The quality of this wine is very good. These wines are well structured and balanced. I particularly like that the fruit stands out over the mineral elements, it is what appeals to me and there were many examples of this. The D.O. is very special, it is a region that can imbue the wines with its landscape and the culture of wine production that is here. I love the Mencías from here.''

José Felicísimo Pereira Freijido, member of the Association of Galician Wine Tasters: “The wines have made a good impression, they are very uniform wines. I especially like the red wines from this D.O. because of their freshness and their fruity flavour. These are special wines because the quality of the grapes is passed on to the wine, the characteristics of the soil, the production.....''

José Manuel Martínez Juste, President of the Association of Galician Enologists: “I have found wines of excellent quality here, with regards to the prize winners you could say they are unique wines, they are wines that have the capacity to translate the ''terroir'', the climate, the grape,....to the palate. They have a personal mark.''

Where the fierce Atlantic storms beat against the rocky prow of an old, static ship called Galicia, that pours water constantly from its wounds; Where the trees loom tall and elegant, festooned with dripping green lichen; where the witches hide, concocting magic potions; where the wine production becomes an architectural feat and adorns the canyons of the river Sil, this is where the Conferencia Española de Consejos Reguladores Vitivinícolas- CECRV (the Conference of Spanish Wine Regulatory Bodies) held its spring Assembly.
When there is a major crisis in the market, of consumption, of values, of regulatory changes, of uses, of customs, perhaps this is the time to retrace one´s steps and realise that thousands of years after vineyards were created in the canyons of the Sil, they continue to have a value which gives us the strength to combat our immediate future.

Wine production can be geometric, linear, polygonal, spherical, pentagonal, quadrangular, rectangular; it can be arithmetic, mathematic, geographic, musical, festive,..... but architectural??

There is only one place that it is architectural and monumental: the Ribeira Sacra. A wine production that is spatial, formed, balanced, aesthetic, beautiful, captivating, humble, grandiose, fascinating. Rich, challenging, flirtatious and daring, serious, touching and showy, especially showy, friendly and emotional. It is no oddity that it takes refuge, hidden on the banks of the Sil but it reveals itself, once it is discovered by travellers passing through, who travel along the waters at the heart of the Ribeira Sacra, looking for the warm welcome of its people, the aroma of its wines, the simple riches of its food.

Within this framework of ancestry and always guided by what is classic and up-to-date, the quality wines of this country are saying to the market: what greatness, what riches without compare have the wines of Spain. A place of natural contrast, of altitude, of lowlands, of micro climates, of sun, of rain, of people and vine varieties and climates. There is nowhere else like this on the planet. The system regenerates itself. The greatness is almost always due to the simplicity, the genuineness, the mode and method of production, without squandering nature´s gifts. Only following a path that ensures a marriage and balance between humankind and nature.

The Consejos Reguladores Vitivinícolas de España (the Spanish Regulatory Wine Bodies) at the assembly held by the D.O. Ribeira Sacra, insisted on their disagreement with the liberalisation of vine plantations. According to the C.E.C.R.V.,the liberalisation plans that are being put forward by the E.U. would cause de localisation and vineyards that are currently profitable, would stop being so.
The Spanish Regulatory Wine Bodies are also asking to be able to do promotional campaigns on their wines in Europe. They insist that wine is a food item and as such they should be able to advertise it.
At the assembly, that took place in the Ribeira Sacra Wine Centre, it was explained to the participants the procedure for certification 45011 as a quality guarantee and, they were informed of the latest sales trends by the Observatorio Español del Mercado del Vino (the Spanish Observatory of the Wine Market). Last year saw an increase in bulk buying of wine, something that usually occurs during times of economic crisis, and which caused a general down fall in other sales, but the good news was that this year sales were returning to normal.
The workshop of the Regulatory Bodies was opened by the Environment Minister of the Galician Government ,Samuel Juárez, who praised the work of the Regulatory Bodies, stating that wine was one of the pillars of the Galician economy and urged the Regulatory Bodies to discuss any concerns with the administration so that they could work together to improve things.

In conjunction with the workshop, around a hundred people participated in the Assembly of the C.E.C.R.V., there was a meal held with the President of the Galician Government, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, at the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos. Núñez Feijóo stated during his speech that ''wine is a pillar of the industry and a delicious tasting ambassador of our land''. He praised the hard work of the bodegas and the skills of the professionals working within the sector, both in Galicia and Spain. '' Authenticity and quality define the Galician and Spanish wines. We are the country with the biggest wine production and we are a land that has always known how to value its wines. We have increased our stronghold and in this way we should go forward'', stated the President of the Galician Government.

The visit to Santiago de Compostela began with the representatives of the Spanish Wine Regulatory Bodies attending the pilgrim´s mass, where the President of the C.E.C.R.V., Fernando Prieto, read out, in the name of the association that he represented, an offering to the Apostle, St. James. A part of the prayer to Apostle, St. James went as follows ''We entrust you with our mission, we entrust you with our daily work in the countryside of Spain as wine producers and wine growers''.

The agenda of the representatives of the C.E.C.R.V. was completed by visits to highlights of the Ribeira Sacra region such as the area of A Cova and Doade, at Doade they were able to enjoy a boat trip along the river. The partners of the representatives were able to take the opportunity on Friday morning, whilst their partners were attending a work meeting, to visit the Colegio Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, the Ribeira Sacra Wine Centre, and the Museum of Sacred Art of the Clarisas.

The members of the C.E.C.R.V. were accompanied by the President of Lugo County Council, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, and the President of Ourense County Council, José Luis Baltar, at a lunch in the Rectoral de Amandi and a dinner at the Parador de Santo Estevo, respectively.

This assembly was one of the most well-attended of the assemblies held by the C.E.C.R.V. and there was great interest amongst representatives to know more about the hosting D.O., the Ribeira Sacra. The difficult terrain and the hardships in working it were the issues most commented upon by the visitors. Following the assembly, the Secretary of the C.E.C.R.V., José Alfonso Sierra, wrote in his blog: ''Wine production can be geometric, linear, polygonal, spherical, pentagonal, quadrangular, rectangular; it can be arithmetic, mathematic, geographic, musical, festive....but architectural??? There is only one place it is architectural and monumental: the Ribeira Sacra.''

On the 16th and 17th of April the Wine Regulatory Bodies of Spain will meet at the Denominación de Origen Ribeira Sacra. For the President of the C.R.D.O.R.S., José Manuel Rodríguez, it is very important to be hosting this event. At the Assembly there will be 35 Regulatory Bodies, out of the 50 that adhere to the C.E.C.R.V. And there will be around a hundred people participating who for two days will get the opportunity to know more about the Ribeira Sacra. It will be one of the most well-attended of the assemblies that are held by C.E.C.R.V. every six months,and according to José Manuel Rodríguez, this is an indication that there is beginning to be great interest in the Ribeira Sacra especially within the Spanish sector of the market. For the President of the C.R.D.O.R.S., the Assembly should increase awareness of the area and serve to promote, not only the wine, but also the region.

During these two days participants will have an opportunity to see some of the highlights of the Ribeira Sacra, the Ribeira Sacra Wine Centre and Santiago de Compostela, where the participants will go on the morning of the 17th, in order to take the opportunity to enjoy the celebrations for the Year of Saint James.

The Assembly programme was outlined by José Manuel Rodríguez at a press conference, and he took this opportunity to explain how the wine sales from the D.O. were progressing. At the current time they are selling more bottles of wine than in the previous year, around 1,400,000 litres. The trend is towards a growth in sales and stability.

We have put all updated figures from the last year on the web page.

You can find them in the section Figures from the Regulatory Council where you can see the graphs with the new data .

All the information on production, the wine makers, the bodegas and the area.