The DO of Valdeorras is situated at the gateway to Galicia in the east of the region. It is made up of three towns: A Rúa, Villamartín and O Barco. The River Sil, which flows from east to west through the DO, is the dominant feature on the landscape. Valdeorras is situated around 150km from the coast and the climate is the most continental of all the DOs of Galicia.

In recent years there has been a lot of excitement surrounding the white Godello grape which has been rediscovered as a variety of great personality and positioned as the region’s star performer. Godello is now to Valdeorras what Albariño is to the Rías Baixas.

Wines made from Godello are generally medium-bodied and therefore more structured than those made from Albariño making them very food friendly. They offer plenty of lemony fruit, a fresh mineral character thanks to the region’s slate soils and great persistence. Godello wines are usually unoaked and youthful but some producers offer barrel-fermented styles and they are capable of ageing.

There is a red partner for this white variety which is showing good potential here: Mencía, a red grape which is increasingly coming into focus in many of the DOs of north west Spain. In the Valdeorras DO producers generally make a young red from Mencía which is light bodied by Spanish standards. It is sometimes blended with other red varieties such as Garnacha Tintorera or Cabernet Sauvignon.