The Region
The landscapes of the Rías Baixas wine region in Spain's northwestern Galicia, starkly contrast with the image many have of Spain- dry, hot, with a splash of bullfighting and flamenco. Galicia is Celtic (whose legacy today is evident in the traditional regional instrument, the bagpipe, called "la Gaita") spiritual and dreamy, with rolling emerald green hills covered in mist. The Galicians have their own language distinct from Spanish, called "Gallego" which resembles a mix of Portuguese and Spanish. Wine Labels from Galicia nearly always use Gallego.

The Rías Baixas climate is Atlantic with heavy rainfall and high humidity. Temperatures are mild, only dropping in December and January. There are an average 2,200 hours of direct sunlight per year, not enough to make rich red wines but perfect for the production of the region's famed white and light red wines. The traditional white grape varietals allowed in the production of DO wine include: Albariño (The star grape used to make wine with the same name), Loureira, Treixadura, Caiño, Torrontés (used as a blender grape in Galicia, but interestingly this grape is being used frequently as a single varietal in Argentina, perhaps evident of the massive migration of Galicians to Argentina, where Argentines even refer to Spaniards as "Gallegos"), and Godello (also used in other nearby wine producing regions including Ribeira Sacra, Monterrei and Ribeiro). Grapes allowed in the DO for red wine production include Mencía and Brancellao (although the best Rías Baixas wines are white).