Bierzo (wine region)
Bierzo is a Spanish wine-growing region in the northwestern region of Bierzo , Province of León , and is close to the Portuguese border and the Galicia region . Around 4274 hectares of planted vineyards at altitudes between 450 and 1000 m are located in an area near the river Sil and various side valleys around the municipality of Cacabelos in the northwest of the province of León. Around 6,500,000 bottles of wine have been produced annually since 2000 .
The area is not far from the Valdeorras appellation . The soils of the region are very different. In the valleys near the Sil and Burbia rivers, the soil is moist, heavy and fertile. Further up, on the many relatively steep hills, you will find mainly sandy, chalky soils. In the northwest, near Villafranca del Bierzo and Corullón , however , it is a weathered slate on which the vines stand.
The main growing areas are distributed among the 23 villages Arganza , Bembibre , Borrenes , Cabañas Raras , Cacabelos , Camponaraya , Carracedelo , Carucedo , Castropodame , Congosto , Corullón , Cubillos del Sil , Fresnedo , Molinaseca , Noceda , Ponferrada , Priaranza , Puente Domingo Florez , Sancedo , Toral de los Vados , Vega de Espinareda , Villadecanes and Villafranca del Bierzo .
A total of 45 bodegas market the wines while the vineyards are cultivated by a total of over 5,000 winemakers. The majority of the wines are sold in Spain. Only 6% are intended for export.
The area has had DO status since June 1988. The regulations are generally closely monitored. In the 2003 vintage, almost 15% of the harvested amount was not approved for the appellation, in 2002 at least 43%.
See also the article Viticulture in Spain .
climate
In Bierzo there is a microclimate that results from the clash of the north-western maritime climate of Galicia and Asturias with the continental climate of the Spanish northern meseta. This means that when there is plenty of sun there is enough rain for agriculture, while the mountain ranges, whose peaks reach 2,200 meters, keep cold winds away. The result is excellent fruit, vegetable and wine growth. The annual average temperature is 12.3 ° C and an average of 720 mm of precipitation falls here per year. The average sunshine duration is between 2,100 and 2,200 hours / year.
Wines
All types of wine are permitted within the wine-growing region, white wine plays a subordinate role here. The Godello grape variety delivers the best results . However, with a share of around 60 hectares of wooded area, it is rarely found. Other white varieties are Doña Blanca , Palomino and Malvasia . The Doña Blanca variety is the most widely grown white variety.
The red wines are mainly made from the Mencía variety. Their share of the forested area is 65%. It is partially blended with Grenache , Merlot , Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo . While most of the winemakers still produce rustic wines, some young winemakers show the potential of the Mencía grape and the region, especially on the slate soils.
However, the quality cultivation of rosé wines is neglected .
regulatory authority
Compliance with the production regulations is monitored by the local regulatory authority, Consejo Regulador.
literature
- John Radford: The New Spain. A complete guide to contemporary Spanish Wine. Mitchell Beazley, London 1998, ISBN 1-85732-254-1 .
- Jan Read: Spain's Wines 2005/06. 7th, revised, updated edition. Hallwag im Gräfe und Unzer Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7742-6962-9 .
- Jeremy Watson: The new & classical Wines of Spain. Montagud Editores, Barcelona 2002, ISBN 84-7212-087-2 .