Terra Gauda O Rosal Rías Baixas 2008

 Terras Gauda 2008  is from the Rias Baixas D.O. which is in the southern part of the Galician region of Spain. This region is also known as “Green Spain” for the same reason Ireland is often described as “Green” - it rains a lot here - average rainfall in this Celtic corner of Spain is higher than most parts of the UK so like ourselves there is a lot of trees, plants and beautiful countryside. This can make these wines expensive as due to this damp climate the size of the vintage can alter dramatically from year to year also the bodegas tend to be small and the producers focus more on quality over quantity.
 Their main grape variety is Albariño which is considered to be Spain’s mostelegant white grape variety. Some experts believe it to be the Riesling grape brought over by German monks when they were establishing monasteries on the pilgrim walk Camino de Santiago but others believe it to be an indigenous grape of the region. Either way it produces elegant, delicate wines which can be quite low in alcohol.


This wine we are trying today is from a winery which was only established in 1990 by a group of businessmen. This is their flagship wine and unusually for this region they blend the Albariño(which I think is about 70%) with 2 other grape varieties CainoBranco and Loureiro which intensifies and adds richness to the wine.

Pictured is one of the paintings that the vineyard commissions on a yearly basis to support young artists.  We have a copy of one of these hanging in work. Every year they are different but always colourful and fun.

 Oz Clarke (British Wine- Writer) was quoted as saying that this “was the best example he had ever tasted from this region” and also listed it in his top 250 wines from around the world.

More impressively this was the white wine served at the Royal Spanish wedding in 2004 where Prince Felipe(heir to the throne) married tv anchorwoman Letizia Ortiz in the first royal wedding in Spain in 100 years! She was the first"commoner" in the line for Queen in the history of the spanish royal family although by all accounts this wedding was quite a relief to his Parents as his previous girlfriend had been a Norwegian lingerie model which I'm sure he got plenty of Kudos from the lads for but possibly not Queen material! Anyway if it’s good enough for the Royal Family and all that…Guests such as Nelson Mandella and Prince Charles were quaffing this...

Colour is a greenish- yellow
Nose: apples, lemons, grapefruit with some floral aromas

Palate: really fresh yet rich. Pears, apricots and beautiful acidity.

Retails for €19.99. Made to go with all the beautiful fish and shellfish from the region but also delicious as an aperitif.


Till Next Time
Clare