{"api":{"host":"https:\/\/pinot.decanter.com","authorization":"Bearer ZDNmNmQ5MjAxZDNmZGVlM2I2MWNmNzk1NmMzYTMzNDAzYmY3ZDJkZjBkMTk5ZTQ5OTM5YWQ5YzYwMWQzMWRiMg","version":"2.0"},"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"6qv8OniKQO","rid":"RJXC8OC","offerId":"OFPHMJWYB8UK","offerTemplateId":"OFPHMJWYB8UK","wcTemplateId":"OTOW5EUWVZ4B"}}

PREMIUM

Galician red wines: 20 top picks worth seeking out

Best known for its crisply fruity white wines, Galicia is also the source of fresh Atlantic reds that are ideal for fans of lighter styles. Here we introduce the sub-regions and producers you need to know, and recommendations for top bottles to try.

Galicia is famous for its white wines: pure, elegant, lees-aged, unoaked or only lightly so. The leader of the charge has been the Rías Baixas DO – and its Albariño grape in particular – followed by Ribeiro, and the Godellos of Valdeorras. Producers from Rioja and Ribera del Duero looking for a white companion to their reds find Galicia a happy hunting ground.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 20 top Galician red wines


Albariño still accounts for 96% of Rías Baixas’ output. In Valdeorras, red Mencía is now almost neck and neck with Godello in production terms. It’s in Ribeira Sacra that red dominates. Galicia always had red vines.

However, they had been widely ignored in the recent stampede to feed the world’s appetite for the region’s whites. Fortunately, things are changing.

There’s a glorious portfolio of reds to discover. What unites them is a very distinct Atlantic acidity.


Discover Galician red wines: Sarah Jane Evans MW’s top 20


You may also like

Galicia: Beyond Albariño

High Street Spain: great choices under £20

Latest Wine News