The beautiful landscapes of this territory, a candidate for World Heritage status, have long been dedicated to wine production. On the steep terraces of the Miño and Sil rivers, it is common to find numerous vineyards that, due to their arrangement, constitute a tourist attraction in themselves. Here, the geography necessitates a practically artisanal and difficult harvesting process that has earned the title of heroic viticulture. The orientation of the canyons favors their ripening, giving these wines a marked body.

Ribeira Sacra is a designation of origin classified as mountain viticulture as it meets the conditions established by the CERVIM organization: wines made from grapes from vineyards that present permanent structural difficulties.

Wine is the hallmark of Ribeira Sacra. The production of this beverage, as well as the cultivation of the vine, was introduced by Roman colonizers in these lands more than two thousand years ago. Later, it was the Christian monks who took over this activity, and today its production remains the economic engine of the region.

The Ribeira Sacra Designation of Origin was created in 1997 and has an area of more than 1500 hectares dedicated to vineyards, which represents more than 5% of the total Galician land dedicated to wine production. Ribeira Sacra is divided into five subzones of cultivation: Chantada, Ribeira do Miño, Amandi, Ribeira do Sil, and Quiroga Bibei.

In wine production, the varieties of mencía, brancellao, and merenzao stand out for reds, and godello, albariño, and treixadura for white wines. They are mainly young wines, although aged reds are also produced.

Ribeira Sacra Wine Route

Through the Ribeira Sacra Wine Route, wine lovers have a paradise in Ribeira Sacra to take full advantage of, as they can take guided tours of wineries, taste wines, and learn about the production of the wines.

You will discover villages lost in time, small charming wineries, and larger wineries with the latest winemaking technology. You will taste authentic wines made with all the attention of the winemaker and experimental wines that pose a challenge for the producer. You will spend nights in dream accommodations. You will eat in restaurants where, believe it or not, neither your mother nor your grandmother cooks, and others where innovation is also an option on the menu. You will sail rivers under the flight of eagles. You will take walks in the early morning mist that leaves traces of magic in the waters by mid-morning. You will let yourself be guided by the sound of birds and confirm that this riverside has something sacred.

Through the Ribeira Sacra Wine Route, you can discover a whole selection of themed establishments that base their activity on the wine tradition of the region.

The Ribeira Sacra Wine Route offers different ways to discover a unique territory through associated establishments. Visiting wineries, museums, and interpretation centers; enjoying accommodations and restaurants, a wide network of viewpoints, and an important set of Romanesque churches and monasteries; walking, cycling, and river tours to enjoy an extraordinary wine-growing landscape.