Spain’s Northern Regions Keep It Cool

BY JOSH RAYNOLDS | MARCH 28, 2019 

Spain’s northern, Atlantic Ocean–influenced winegrowing zones were virtually unknown to most wine lovers only a decade ago, but things have changed dramatically. Some of Spain’s most sought-after, high-quality and highly allocated red wines come from Bierzo and Ribeira Sacra, and the popularity of the area’s racy whites, especially those of Rías Baixas, which are usually exclusively made with the local Albariño variety, continues a steep upward trajectory.

This was hardly the case just a decade ago, when these wines were seldom encountered outside the region, except in forward-thinking restaurants scattered across Spain. Today, collectors are chasing down small-production, Mencía-based Bierzos and Ribeira Sacras with the zeal of Burgundy aficionados, and Galician white wines have established a strong and growing foothold in stores and, especially, restaurants around the world that feature seafood- and vegetable-based menus. There has also been an uptick of interest for the less commonly encountered white and red wines of Ribeiro, Monterrei and Valdeorras, many of which are proving to be outstanding and, for the time being at least, mostly terrific values as well.

Albariño vines in Rías Baixas are traditionally grown on the traditional, overhead pergola system, the better to combat the region's often humid conditions.

Let There Be Light

Most of the wines here, red as well as white, tend to be made with a light hand, meaning that they are not too extracted and on the low-alcohol side, displaying bright acidity and, usually, minimal oak influence. The vast majority of white wines are raised entirely in stainless steel and/or concrete tanks, and, when oak comes into play, it’s usually in the form of large, neutral vats or barrels, for reds as well as whites. Given the cool conditions that dominate the area, acidity levels tend to be on the high side and pHs are, as a rule, low, meaning that the general style of all the wines is lively and mineral-driven, the white wines showcasing citrus fruit and floral qualities and the red wines showing red rather than dark fruit character coupled with spiciness and florality. Fans of Pinot Noir, Gamay, Dolcetto and Loire Valley Cabernet Franc will find a lot to like from the red wines here, as will white wine aficionados who favor Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and cool-climate Chardonnays such as Chablis. Restraint, elegance and precision, far more often than not, are the bywords.