Collection: D.O. Bierzo

On the way to Santiago de Compostela you get to the hilly landscape of Bierzo, half way between majestic León and Galicia, literally at the foot of the Cantabrian mountains. This old wine region is undergoing a complete transformation to make modern top quality wines. Modern and fruity wines are made from native grape varieties from these difficult-to-work vineyards, with low yields and a lot of manual labour. Sometimes the vines are planted at altitudes in excess of 1,000 metres. Mencia for red and mostly Godello for white.

El Bierzo, also known as the ‘gateway to Galicia’, is a fertile plain enclosed by mountains on each side. The region is probably best known for its mines, as it is the site of a group of villages with quite a bit of industry, but at the same time, it is an ideal wine-growing area. Gentle mountain slopes ascend into strips of pine trees and are protected from Atlantic influences by the mountains. 

In matters both of landscape and wine, this is a transitional area between the meseta and Galicia, with exceptional red varietal Mencía wines and white wines made from Godello grapes from neighbouring D.O. Valdeorras. The local grape varieties lend themselves particularly well to making exceptional wines and this has become a very remarkable region through the use of the right winemaking techniques.

© Photo: Bodegas Merayo