DO Rias Baixas – Boston Wine Expo Seminar Presentation

ORIGINS OF ALBARIÑO

The Wines of Rías Baixas

Boston Wine Expo Seminar, Sat. March 2, 2024

Speaker: Kim Simone, Commonwealth Wine School

@Riasbaixaswine | #RiasBaixas | #RBAlbarino | #RiasBaixasAlbarino | #MuyAtlantico | #AlbariñofromSpain

DENOMINATION OF ORIGIN (DO) RÍAS BAIXAS

is renowned for the Albariño grape, a native variety that produces some of the world’s foremost white wines. Located on the Atlantic coast of northwestern Galicia, a lush area known as Green Spain, Rías Baixas shares the same mineral-rich soils and cool climate as the Loire Valley, Marlborough, and the Rhine.

CULTURE & HISTORY

19th Century Diaspora

1980

La Denominación Específica Albariño launches

1988

Renamed to DO Rías Baixas

2023

Record sales. US is #1 Export Market!

600 BC

Celtic Era

19 BC – 410 AD

Roman Gallaecia

9th Century Camino de Santiago begins

WHERE IS RÍAS BAIXAS

The Five Sub-Regions

VAL DO SALNÉS

Birthplace of Albariño

64% of vines

CONDADO DO TEA

Most inland, warmer 20% of vines

O ROSAL

Right bank of Miño River 11% of vines

RIBEIRA DO ULLA

Newest sub-zone 3% of vines

SOUTOMAIOR

Hillside vines, Ria de Vigo 2% of vines

Rías Baixas Is Galician for ‘lower estuaries’

ALBARIÑO: THE GRAPE

AN ANCIENT GRAPE

Native to Galicia

Medium, thick-skinned berry

Susceptible to mildew

Prefers well-drained, granite soils

Color: Pale straw to golden-lemon

Acidity: High

Alc. 12-13.5%

AROMAS & FLAVORS

ALBARIÑO & OTHER VARIETIES

99% White wine

95% of all plantings are Albariño

12 Permitted White

Grapes

Primary: Albariño

Treixadura

Loureiro/a

Caíño Blanco

Torrontés

Godello

<1% Red Grapes (Tinto)

Sousón

Espadeiro

Caíño Tinto

Loureira Tinta Brancellao

Mencía

Pedral

QUALITY CONTROL

CONSEJO REGULADOR

WINE STYLES

RÍAS BAIXAS

100% sourced from DO Rías Baixas

RÍAS BAIXAS ALBARIÑO

100% Albariño; minimum 11.3% alc, sourced from any sub-region

RÍAS BAIXAS TINTO Red wine, less than 1% of production

RÍAS BAIXAS BARRICA

Wines aged in oak (red or white); minimum 11.5% alc

RÍAS BAIXAS VAL DO SALNÉS

100% Val do Salnés; minimum 70% Albariño

RÍAS BAIXAS CONDADO DO TEA

100% Condado do Tea; minimum blend 70% Albariño & Treixadura

8 WINE STYLES PERMITTED

RÍAS BAIXAS ROSAL

100% Rosal; minimum blend 70% Albariño & Loureiro

RÍAS BAIXAS ESPUMOSO

Traditional method

sparkling; minimum 9 months on lees

SPECIAL LABEL TERM

Sobre Lías: Lees aging

THE CLIMATE

Moderate year-round temperatures

(Average annual temp: 59° F)

2200 + hours of sunshine

1,600 mm annual rainfall (vs. 690 mm Napa Valley)

THE VINES

Vines are planted from sea level up to 1,000 feet

Vines are widely-spaced. Trained on stone pergolas (parras) to maximize sun and ventilation.

All manual harvesting.

Challenging and expensive!

THE SOIL

Hard granitic SOILS with mineral-rich alluvial topsoils and iron-rich Xabre (sha-bree)

THE PEOPLE

180 Producers

10,677 Acres

22,800 Parcels

Most plots < 1 acre

5,011 Growers

+50% Women Winemakers

Primarily small, family-owned ownership

WINEMAKING

Pre-Fermentation maceration

Wild Yeast

Partial Malolactic fermentation

Extended contact with the lees

Barrel fermentation and extended aging

WINEMAKING - LEES

Prevent oxidation during storage

Maximize aromatic complexity

Add volume on the palate

Increase longevity for extended aging

Second fermentation for sparkling

AGE WORTHY WINES

FOOD-FRIENDLY

Albariño from Rías Baixas delivers high acidity + powerful flavors = a food pairing dream!

FUN FACT: Rías Baixas sales spike each year to meet Thanksgiving demand.

LET’S DRINK SOME ALBARIÑO!

@Riasbaixaswine | #RiasBaixas | #RBAlbarino | #RiasBaixasAlbarino | #AlbariñofromSpain

TASTING

AS LAXAS SENSUM LAXAS NV

Sub-region:CondadodoTea

Lees aging: TraditionalMethodfor9monthsfollowedbydisgorgement Variety:100%Albariño(singlevineyard)

SRP:$26

Overview

A brut sparkling made from 100% estate Albariño grapes. Winemakers

Ana Rosa Alvarez and Jorge Hervella make the base wine from grapes picked with perfect parameters for a second fermentation. Sensum spends9monthsonleesbeforedisgorgement.

About As Laxas

Family-owned and one of the first wineries in DO Rías Baixas, Bodegas

As Laxas is located in the Miño River Valley, a warmer area ideal for ripening. The vineyards are over 30 years old, planted on south-facing graniteterracesbetween500to650feet.

MARTÍN CÓDAX VAL DE BURGÁNS

Sub-region:ValdoSalnés

Lees aging: 7-8monthsinalargeFrenchoakfoudre

Variety:100%Albariño

SRP:$60

Overview

Sourced from only the best plots with a traditional emparrado training system, optimal sun exposure, and naturally low-vigor vines are selected by hand for this cuvée. To complement this wine’s richness and tensile acidity, winemaker Katia Álvarez ages it for 7-8 months in a largeFrenchoakfoudre.

About Martín Códax

Bodegas Martín Códax was founded in 1985 and is named after a celebrated Galician troubadour whose medieval love poems pay homage to the region's Atlantic coastal heritage. Focused on its people, land and culture, Martín Codáx was set up by 270 member winegrowers and relies on the collaboration of 300 additional families to supply grapes. A symbol of Galician wines in and beyond Spain, Martín Códax finds inspiration from its location in heart of the Salnés to make wines of the highest quality, and is proud to serve as an ambassadorforGalicianartsandcultureinallitsmarkets.

TERRAS GAUDA O ROSAL

Sub-region:ORosal

Lees aging: 3to4monthsontheleesinstainlesssteel Variety:70%Albariño,23%CaíñoBlanco,and7%Loureiro

SRP:$22

Overview

The varieties of this O Rosal blend are macerated and fermented individually with a yeast strain isolated in the vineyard. Aged on the leesforthreetofourmonthsinstainlesssteelbeforebottling.

About Terras Gauda

Terras (Land) Gauda (Happiness) was founded in 1990 by the Fonseca family in the southernmost region of Rías Baixas, O Rosal. One of Rías Baixas’ leading wineries, Terras Gauda has crafted many award-winning wines made exclusively from estate-grown fruit. Terras Gauda has been a leading voice in the advancement of Rías Baixas worldwide. The winery is also responsible for the preservation of notableheirloomgrapevarietiessuchasCaíñoBlanco.

LA VAL FINCA ARANTEI ALBARIÑO

Sub-region:CondadodoTea

Lees aging: 6monthswithbâtonnage

Variety:100%Albariño(singlevineyard)

SRP:$23

Overview

Albariñograpesarehand-harvestedentirelyfromtheAranteivineyardwhichis located in an old, pebbled riverbed with mineral-rich soils and some of the longest sunshine hours in the DO. After harvest, the grapes are macerated for 4-6 hours at controlled temperatures of 8 - 10ºC. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts from the vineyard then aged on itsfineleesforsixmonthswithregularbatonnage.

About La Val

First established in 1985, Bodegas La Val was one of the first wineries to officially join DO Rias Baixas. Based in Taboexa in the Condado do Tea sub-region, the winery only uses estate-grown Albariño, Loureiro, and Treixadura planted on an expansive 130-acre property in three plots. The vineyards thrive in the humid climate and granite soils, reaching elevations of 1,148 feet. Winemaker Jose Maria Ureta relies on native wild yeast for fermentation, and manages a distinctive range including a benchmark Albariño,age-worthy"LaValVendimia"and"SobreLias"selections.

PAZO TORRE PENELAS BLANCO GRANITO

Sub-region:ValdoSalnés

Lees aging: 8 months on the lees in granite eggs followed by 8 months ontheleesinstainlesssteel

Variety:100%Albariño(singlevineyard)

SRP:$48

Overview

The wine is made 100% from estate-grown grapes, from vines between 20 and 45 years-old. It ferments and remains on its lees for eight months in granite eggs, followed by eight months on the lees in stainlesssteel.Thewineisbottled,andcellarageduntilrelease.

About Bodegas Torres

Torre Penelas, located in the municipality of Portas in the Salnés Valley, is Familia Torres’s project in Rías Baixas. It focuses on making singular wines from grapes grown in the property’s 6-hectare walled vineyard and fermented in innovative egg-shaped, granite vats. The pazo is from the fourteenth or fifteenth century and is a national heritagesite.Amicro-wineryhasbeeninstalledinthepazo’stower.

BENITO SANTOS PAGO DE XOAN

Sub-region:ValdoSalnés

Lees aging: 24monthsontheleesinstainlesssteel

Variety:100%Albariño

SRP:$29

Overview

Grapes are sourced from the parcels with 70+ year-old vines. Grapes are fermented in stainless steel, and the finished wine spends more than 24 months aging on the fine lees before bottling. The wine is cellaragedaminimumofthreemonthsuntilrelease.

About Benito Santos

Benito Santos founded the winery in 1979, located in the village of Vilanova de Arousa in the Salnés Valley. He became one of the first major advocates for the Albariño grape, and played an instrumental role in the creation of the Rias Baixas Designation of Origin in 1988. Today, his descendants cultivate three certified organic vineyards, named Saiar, Bemil and Xoan.The 30-year-old vines are trellised on the traditional granite parras and grow in granitic and loam soils. The wines are fermented with native yeast, and show all the bright fruit, salinityandlivelyaciditycharacteristicoftheSalnésValley.

PACO & LOLA VINTAGE

Sub-region:ValdoSalnés

Lees Aging: 1 year on lees with weekly bâtonnage, plus 4 years in stainlesssteeltanksonthelees

Variety:100%Albariño

ABV: 13%

SRP:$55

Overview

Made from free run must from select grapes in the best vineyards. After fermentation, it is aged on its fine lees, with a weekly "bâtonnage" for 1 year. It rests in stainless steel tanks for another 4 years with the lees beforeit’sbottled.

About Paco & Lola

Paco & Lola is a young, modern winery, known worldwide for the bright polka dots on their labels and a lively image to match. Founded in 2005, Paco&Lolaisapopularwinerymadeupofsmallfamilywinegrowers from O Salnés with over 400 members farming 494 acres of vines subdivided into1800parcels,inthetraditionofGaliciansmallholdings.

PAZO SEÑORANS SELECCIÓN AÑADA

Sub-region:ValdoSalnés

Lees aging: 30+monthsonlees

Variety:100%Albariño

SRP:$90

Overview

Grapes are sourced from the 45+ year-old vines in the Bancales vineyard. Following a period of maceration in the press, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel. The wine spends more than 30 months aging on the fine lees before bottling, followed by cellar aging until release.

About Pazo Señoransl

Pazo Señorans is a family-owned winery operating from a magnificent 16th Century manor house, or pazo. The winery was founded in 1989 by husband-and-wife team, Marisol Bueno and Javier Mareque (now in the hands of their four children Marisol, Vicky, Javier and Santiago), they are building on the foundation of an established vineyard. Pazo Señorans aims to make Albariño wines that are a true reflection of the land. Dedicated to realizing the full potential of Albariño, Pazo de Señorans offers a full range of young, sobre lías and ageworthy wines, allwithdistinctivevarietalcharacter.