While twelve grape varieties are permitted in the DO,
the white grape Albariño represents 90%
of all plantings. Other important, permitted grapes include
Treixadura, traditionally blended with Albariño;
and Loureira Blanca, a high-quality local variety
particularly associated with O Rosal. Caiño
Blanco, Torrontes and Godello are
also planted to a lesser extent throughout the region.
Vines were traditionally widely spaced and trained on
granite pergolas called parrales to enhance sun
exposure and prevent grapes from fungal disease. Less
labor-intensive and costly, many vineyards today are moving
to the espaldera system - a local variant of
the Geneva Double Curtain training system.
Given the average small size of vineyards plots, all harvesting
is by hand. Many producers carry out a slow, pre-fermentation
maceration to add complexity and extract more color and
aromas. Another interesting aspect of Rías Baixas
winemaking is the increasing number of winemakers who
put their wines through full or partial malolactic fermentation.
As well as imparting a creamier, fuller character, this
also enables the wines to age. There is a minimum alcohol
level of 11.3% for Albariño wines, 11.5% for wines
aged in oak and 11.0% for other white wine blends.
While most wines do not see any oak, there is a move toward
barrel fermentation using French, American and native
Galician oak.
To guarantee origin and adherence to the highest-quality
standards, all wines from Rías Baixas carry an
official label from the local Consejo Regulador. Only
wines that pass all of the quality control trials can
bear the official Rías Baixas label on the bottle.
