Ribeira Sacra (DO)

Ribeira Sacra is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) (Denominación de Orixe Protexida in Galician) for wines located in the south of the province of Lugo and in the north of the province of Ourense, in Galicia, Spain. It extends over the territories of 20 different municipalities that make up a zone also called Ribeira Sacra, which could be translated as "Sacred Riverbank". Vineyards are planted on the steep slopes of the valleys and canyons of the rivers Miño and Sil. The area acquired official Denominación de Origen status in 1996.

The region is known for red wines produced from Mencía and other grapes such as Merenzao and Brancellao, as well as white wines made from Godello, Albariño and Dona Branca.

Etymology

The term "Rivoira Sacrata" first appeared in the writings of Brother Antonio Yepes, who mentioned the name in his General Chronicle of the Order of Saint Benedict, written at the beginning of the 17th century. Yepes transcribed a section of the founding document of the Monastery of Montederramo which reads "locum qui dicitur Rovoyra Sacrata, qui est in monte de Ramo, territorio Caldelas."

Studies of the original founding document of the Monastery of Montederramo by Galician linguists have revealed that the original term, Rovoyra Sacrata, alluded to a sacred oak grove.

Whether intentionally or by mistake, Yepes transcribed the place name as "Rivoyra Sacrata," which translates to "sacred riverbank", and attributed the term's origins to the multiple monasteries along the Sil river. Later, Enrique Flórez included the erroneous transcription in España Sagrada, teatro geografico-historico de La Iglesia de España, published in the 18th century. The term "Ribeira Sacra" became popularized by contemporary historiography until it was chosen as the name of the wine region.