THE AREA
A countryside full of history
From medieval times, the Ribeira do Ulla area has been bound to the growth of vines.
The Codex Calixtinus (mid 12th Century) tells us that the wines from this region were taken to Santiago de Compostela to the markets. They entered through the Camino Real (royal route) and into one of the seven doors of the city, the door of Mazarelos.
Centuries of grandeur and challenges
Towards the XVIII century, winegrowing dominated the region.
Towards the end of the XIX century, fungal disease oídio and parasitic insect filoxera destroyed most of the historical vines.
Varieties such as Albariño, Caiño, Brancellao or Tinta Femia, were almost lost forever.
Resurrection under the D.O. Rías Baixas
The Ribeira do Ulla subarea covers both sides of the Ulla valley in the regions of Santiago, Sar, Deza and Tabeirós-Terra de Montes. It is in this Ulla region, that Galician writer Otero Pedrayo described as the garden and vegetable patch of Santiago de Compostela (in galician: “horta e xardín de Compostela”), where we find most of the winemaking.
Ulla river pictures by Sara Valcárcel
“Today, this valley not only produces high quality wine. It also honors a legacy that was able to survive through the ages.”
VITICULTURAL SUITABILITY OF THE AREA
The altitude in Ribeira do Ulla ranges between 50 and 400 meters, offering high diversity.
This land is ideal for winemaking, with a humid Atlantic climate transitioning to continental, and a majority of granitic sandy soils.