Wine Apellalltion of Origin "Rías Baixas"

The history of the Apellation of Origin "Rías Baixas" begins in 1980 when collected in the B. O. E. of October 11, the Specific Designation Albariño.

Four years later, on 30 April, approving the Regulation on the Specific Designation Albariño and its regulating Council.

Due to the need to adapt Spanish legislation to the community, the Department of Agriculture, Gandería and Mountains, in an Order of March 17, 1988, recognizes the Denomination of Origin Rías Baixas, and on July 4 published the Order which approved the Regulation of the Denomination of Origin and its Regulatory Council, which was ratified in a Ministerial Order of 28 of July of that same year.

In its short history, the Rías Baixas denomination of Origin sector was able to evolve in an orderly manner and with criteria, thus, in a period between 1987 and 2001, respectively, from 492 winegrowers to 5,059, from 14 to 161 wineries and from a vineyard area of 237 hectares to another of 2,408 hectares.
This development is also reflected in the expansion of the areas. In 1988 the appellation of Origin Rias Baixas consisted of 3 perfectly individualized subzones in the province of Pontevedra: Val do Salnés, Condado do Tea and O Rosal. Soutomaior was incorporated in October 1996 and extended to Ribeira do Ulla in May 2000.

Source: natural environment

The designation of Origin Rías Baixas extends over a number of areas of Galicia that have a number of common physical conditions that identify and originate the characteristics of their wines.

These are lowlands, with altitude generally below 300 m., close to the sea and associated with the lower stretches of the river courses, which formally conditions the climatic characteristics of Atlantic influence that manifest in mild temperatures and high and well distributed rainfall, with a water decrease in the summer months.