Valdeorras is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) (''Denominación de Orixe Protexida'' in Galician) for

Galician wine Galician wine is Spanish wine made in the autonomous community of Galicia in the northwest corner of Spain. It includes wine made in the provinces of A Coruña, Ourense, Pontevedra and Lugo. Within Galicia are five '' Denominacións de Orixe'' ( ...

s located on the banks of the river Sil in the south of the province of Ourense, ( Galicia,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

History

Valdeorras, whose name means “Valley of Gold”, may have been the first grape-growing and wine-producing region in Galicia. After the

ancient Romans In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 ...

had finished mining the area for gold, they planted vines, and the wines produced were mentioned in several inscriptions in Latin. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

the vineyards were taken over and managed by the religious orders. After a centuries-long period of decline, the 19th century saw the area take off again. In the 1970s experiments were conducted to reintroduce the native

Godello Godello is a white variety of wine grape grown in northwestern Spain, in particular in Galicia. The Gouveio found in northern Portugal is thought to be the same grape variety. The origins of Godello variety are located in the town of Godella ...

grape variety. The area acquired its official DO status in 1945.

Geography

The vineyards of the Valdeorras DOP are on the banks of the river Sil, which flows westwards from Castile and León to the province of Ourense. In general the landscape is flat or gently rolling. As most of the vineyards are on the river Sil valley floor, the soils are alluvial and quite fertile, with good moisture retaining properties. The vines are planted at a height of between 240 m and 320 m above sea level.

Climate

The climate in Valdeorras is a combination of Atlantic, continental and a specific micro-climate in the Sil valley. These factors ensure that the vines receive enough sunlight and heat during the short summer. Rainfall is high, between 850 mm and 1,000 mm per year. Temperatures can drop to below zero during the winter. In addition to this, there are also risks of late frosts and hailstones in spring, excessive heat in summer, and violent storms caused by the mixture of the sea breezes and the dry air of the Castilian plain.

Grapes

The Recommended white grapes are

Loureira Loureira is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Vila Verde. The population in 2021 was 1106 in an area of 1.87 km². {{Infobox Portuguese subdivision, official_name=Loureira, image_shield=, coordinates={{coord, 41.630, -8.427, ...

Treixadura Treixadura or Trajadura is white Portuguese wine grape variety grown primarily in the Vinho Verde wine region of northeast Portugal and the Galician wine regions of Ribeiro and Rías Baixas in Spain where the variety is known as ''Treixadura' ...

Albariño,

Torrontés Torrontés is a white grape variety, mostly produced and known in Argentine wine, producing fresh, aromatic wines with moderate acidity, smooth texture and mouthfeel as well as distinctive peach and apricot aromas on the nose.Robinson, Jancis '' ...

, Lado, and

Dona Branca Maria Branca dos Santos, more commonly referred to as "'' Dona''" Branca (1902–1992), was a Portuguese criminal known chiefly for maintaining a Ponzi scheme in Portugal between 1970 and 1984 that paid a ten percent monthly interest. During ...

; also authorized is Palomino Fino. The Recommended red grapes are Mencía,

Tempranillo Tempranillo (also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinto Fino and Tinta del Pais in Spain, Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in Portugal, and several other synonyms elsewhere) is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its ...

, Merenzao, Sousón, Brancellao, Caíño Tinto, Ferrón, and Espadeiro; also authorized are Gran Negro, Garnacha Tintorera (

Alicante Bouschet Alicante Bouschet or Alicante Henri Bouschet is a wine grape variety that has been widely cultivated since 1866. It is a cross of Petit Bouschet (itself a cross of the very old variety Teinturier du Cher and Aramon) and Grenache.D.O. Valdeorras official website
{{Authority control Wine regions of Spain Spanish wine Appellations Wine classification