Betanzos

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The climate of the zone is maritime Mediterranean with traces of humid continental, with mean annual temperatures close to 14 °C that provide uniform vegetative development.
• Atlantic influence moderates maximum temperatures to below 25 °C during August and early September, the period of grape ripening.
• The moderation of night-time temperatures results in low respiratory combustion, providing good retention of aromatic compounds and anthocyanins.
• The number of sunlight hours is a limiting factor for vine cultivation, conditioning alcoholic strengths and giving rise to high acidity levels.
• The lithological substrate consists mainly of schistose rocks of the Serie de Ordes, with alluvial and colluvial deposits in the river valleys, giving rise to deep soils with loam to silt-loam textures.
• The excellent capacity for spring warming and the good heat retention of these soils promote early budbreak, which partly compensates for the brevity of the growing season.

• The historic reputation of the area as a wine-producing zone was already evident in the Catastro de Ensenada of 1752, which attributes a vineyard area of around 1,100 ha to this zone.
• Grower and winery associations promote these wines through the Feira do Viño de Betanzos, held annually since 1985.
• Pruning and vine training are carried out by hand and with great skill in order to achieve adequate control of viticultural and winemaking potential.
• The distinctiveness of these wines and their reputation served as the basis for their recognition by the Spanish authorities as a Vino de la Tierra in 2000.

• The white wines display colours ranging from pale golden yellow to lemon yellow, with fruit and floral aromas of high aromatic potential and crisp, acidic notes on the finish.
• The red wines show aromas of wild berries, medium depth of colour, cherry red with violet hints, and a medium structure with a smooth, lightly tannic palate.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the specification (pliego de condiciones).

All appellations in Spain

Sources

• National pliego de condiciones (PDF)
• Mapa de Parroquias de Galicia (IET, Xunta de Galicia) — © Xunta de Galicia – Instituto de Estudos do Territorio (IET), Mapa de Parroquias · CC BY 4.0
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PGI-ES-A1257
• Official trade body site — AGACAL — IXP Betanzos