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Great
Wines World's Terroirs
SPAIN
Estate of
Vionta
History
The history of the Denominaciòn de Origen Rias Baixas begins in
1980, when the Denominaciòn Especifica Albariño was created.
Four years later, the Albariño regulations and regulatory council
were approved. After adapting the Spanish législation to that
of the European Union, in 1988 the Denominaciòn de Origen Rias
Baixas was recognised.
Climate
The climate of Rias Baixas is Atlantic, with ample rain and, above all,
high relative humidity, Generally moderate temperatures, not usually over
30°C with lows that get close to 0°C only in December and January.
Average température of 14° C. Précipitations of 1,300
mm/year. Average sunshine of 2,200 hours a year.
Soils
In general, sandy, of little depth and somewhat acid. The soils have good
drainage, with a high percentage of organic matter, poor in phosphorous,
potassium and trace elements.
Grape varietes
The wines of the Denominaciòn de Origen Rias Baixas are made exclusively
with the white grapes Albariño, Loureira blanca (or Marqués),
Treixadura and Caiño blanco, and the reds Caiño tinto, Espadeiro,
Loureira tinta and Sousòn. Other authorised varieties are the whites
Torrontés and Godello.
Area in vines
2,523 hectares.
Vionta
There are two stories concerning the origins of Albariño
wines, According to one it was the Cluniac monks of the Armenteira Monastery
who, in the 12th century, brought to Spain the Vitis vinifera that grew
along the banks of the Rhine.The other version attributes the introduction
of the grape in Spain to Raymond of Burgundy, the husband of Urraca of
Castile and Leon. Whatever the truth may be, today the Galician winemakers
of the D.O. Rias Baixas are making some of the top whites in Europe coupling
the traditional methods of their predecessors with the latest advances
in the sector.
The domain of the Albariño grape, along the left bank of the tidal
inlet Ria de Aroûsa, covers a landscape of extraordinary beauty;
and here is where the Pazo de Baiòn is found.This Pazo —
as manor houses are called in Galicia — is the largest pri-vate
property in the region. It has 33 hectares in old vines, with low production
-60 percent average output —and medium ripening of the grapes, although,
after vinification it attains an alcohol level of 12 per cent.
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