Though this DO was only created in 1996, wine has been produced along the “sacred banks” of the Sil River in Galicia ever since the Romans came to town, bringing with them the knowledge that terraces make the best vineyards. The river exerts its cooling influence on the vines (mostly Mencía), which cling to their spots on terraced vineyards cut steeply up the riverbanks. Vines must struggle for nutrients here, and this gives concentration to the fruit. The red wines of Ribeira Sacra are nonetheless bursting with bright acidity and cool-climate character. Because of the challenges posed by the steep and rocky terrain, hand-harvesting is the only option: this fact tends to weed out any pretenders. In order to succeed in this region, a winemaker must be passionate, knowledgeable, and singularly dedicated - which should be enough to boost your confidence any time you see the words “Ribeira Sacra” on a wine label.