20 top buys... Rías Baixas

It's mostly about Albariño in this southwestern corner of Galicia, and the now-familiar fruity white has won legions of fans. Discover some new favourites in this lineup of current releases, plus a few other surprises...

- STORY & SELECTION AMAYA CERVERA

The 4,800ha wine region now known as Rías Baixas first gained appellation status in the early 1980s, as DO Albariño. However, when Spain joined the EU in 1986, a geographic designation became mandatory and the name Rías Baixas was chosen. This term refers to the picturesque estuaries that shape Galicia’s west coast, the source of superb fish and other seafood.

The main wine-producing area of Rías Baixas, Salnés, is strategically located between the Arousa and Pontevedra estuaries. A popular tourist destination, it combines a rich cultural and gastronomic heritage with a landscape of contrasts, where mountains merge with the coastline. Due to real estate pressure, land is very expensive, so selling vineyards is a lucrative business opportunity. Nevertheless, according to the DO Rías Baixas 2025 vintage report summary, this area accounted for 65% of the wider region’s grape output in the 2025 harvest.

There are four other sub-zones in Rías Baixas. O Rosal, in the south, is the only one of these that faces the sea, at the mouth of the river Miño, which marks the border with Portugal. Further inland, upriver, lies Condado do Tea, a warmer, drier area. A little to the north, between Condado do Tea and Salnés, lies the tiny Soutomaior. And to the north of Salnés, also inland, is Ribeira do Ulla, an emergent area for larger planting operations given the DO’s smallholding area of 4,800ha distributed across about 24,000 plots. It's no surprise that, in the past, people made the most of the land by growing vegetables under the vine pergolas.

Albariño explosion