📍 Valdeorras

Valdeorras is a wine area in north-western Spain, in Galicia, at the far eastern edge of the region next to the border with León. The name means valley of gold: the Romans mined gold here in ancient times. The vineyards lie in the valley of the Sil river and its tributaries.

Soils are slate and granite, and slopes are steep. The climate is transitional between Atlantic and continental: hotter and drier in summer than on the coast.

The area's pride is the white Godello. In the 1970s it nearly disappeared, but local winemakers saved it, and today it is regarded as one of the best white grapes of Spain: the wine is fresh, with a mineral touch and citrus aromas. The main red is Mencía, giving light, aromatic wines. Garnacha Tintorera and others are used too.

Valdeorras is part of Galicia, in the province of Ourense, and differs from the coastal Rías Baixas and Ribeiro: it is drier and warmer. Godello suits fish, seafood and Galician dishes, and Mencía suits meat and tapas. The name Valdeorras on a label shows that the grapes grew in this very area, which makes it easy to look for similar wines.