Valdeorras: The “Valley of Gold”
Valdeorras is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominación de Orixe in Galician) for wines located on the banks of the river Sil in the south of the province of Ourense, (Galicia, Spain).
Valdeorras, whose name means “Valley of Gold”, may have been the first grape growing and wine producing region in Galicia. After the ancient Romans had finished mining the area for gold, they planted vines and the wines produced were mentioned in several inscriptions in Latin.
During the Middle Ages the vineyards were taken over and managed by the religious orders. After a centuries long period of decline, the 19th century saw the area take off again. In the 20th century, in the 1970s experiments were conducted to reintroduce the native Godello grape variety.
The area acquired its official DO status in 1945. At DO Valdeorras they explain that the project researched the most appropriate rootstocks and training methods and addressed the grape’s tendency to mature very rapidly due to serious sunshine exposure in autumn. Apparently hillside plantations had given excellent wines from way back in antiquity, so they also looked into what soils and locations could be best. Luckily Galicia happens to have some of the finest slate in Europe. But in all not more than 1,000 square meters (1,200 sq. yards) of vineyard had survived. The surviving Godello vines were around 60 years old, grafted onto a hybrid of Vitis vinifera and rupestris. Clonal selection among these not more than 200 original stocks has been subsequently improved, yet without narrowing it too tightly to preserve polyclonal vineyards.
These pioneers were also some of the first in Spain to use stainless steel, but confessedly the first new Godello’s were not consistent. The lack of immediate varietal aroma slowed its appeal on the international market. Yet thanks to careful work in vineyards and total control of rising maturity at harvest, Godello wines now show an attractive nose and a fleshy, rounded palate. The good thing about Godello is that it allows terroir to shine through, but possible odd smells need to be avoided. This is why a selection table at harvest time is essential.
The vineyards of the Valdeorras DO are on the banks of the river Sil, which flows westwards from Castile and León to the province of Ourense. In general the landscape is flat or gently rolling.
As most of the vineyards are on the river Sil valley floor, the soils are alluvial and quite fertile, with good moisture retaining properties.
The vines are planted at a height of between 240 m and 320 m above sea level.
The climate in Valdeorras is a combination of Atlantic, continental and a specific micro-climate in the Sil valley. These factors ensure that the vines receive enough sunlight and heat during the short summer. Rainfall is high, between 850 mm and 1,000 mm per year. Temperatures can drop to below zero during the winter.
In addition to this, there are also risks of late frosts and hails in spring, excessive heat in summer, and violent storms caused by the mixture of the sea breezes and the dry air of the Castilian plain.
The Recommended white grapes are Godello and Dona Branca; also authorised is Palomino Fino.
The Recommended red grapes are Mencia, Merenzao, Sousón, Brancellao; also authorised are Grenache Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Gran Negro, Tempranillo and Negreda.