Rías Baixas is a wine appellation in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain, located along the Atlantic coastline. Although a comparatively young denominacion de origen (established in 1988), Rías Baixas has rapidly grown in stature thanks to the efforts
Rías Baixas is a wine appellation in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain, located along the Atlantic coastline. Although a comparatively young denominacion de origen (established in 1988), Rías Baixas has rapidly grown in stature thanks to the efforts of its various enterprising producers, who have adopted modern winemaking techniques to showcase the region's signature grape variety, Albariño.
The region, made up of five subzones, stretches along Spain's Atlantic coast from just south of Santiago de Compostela to the Portuguese border, a distance of around 60 miles (100km) as the crow flies. Rías Baixas is named after the coastal inlets (or rías) that characterize the landscape here. Riax Baixas is well-known for crisp, fresh, aromatic white wines. All wines labeled Rías Baixas must be at least 70 percent Albariño, with the rest made up of Treixadura, Torrontes, Loureiro and Caiño Blanco, a rarely-seen Galician grape which is often mistaken for Albariño.
