DO area for red, rosé and white wines in the extreme northwest of the Spanish region of Castilla y León near the Portuguese border and the region of Galicia. It was classified in 1988. The vineyards cover 4,300 hectares of vines at 400 to 800 metres above sea level in 23 municipalities (including the namesake Villafranca del Bierzo) on clayey soils, as well as quartzite and slate in the mountainous areas. The climate is continental, with plenty of sun and rain. The clearly dominant grape variety with about three quarters of the area is Mencía, which must be present in 70% of the red wines. Other red wine varieties are Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Henri Bouschet), Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Syrah, Prieto Picudo and Petit Verdot. The authorised white wine varieties are Godello, Doña Blanca (Síria) and Malvasia (Palomino).
Using the encyclopaedia is not only time-saving, but also extremely convenient. What's more, the information is always up to date.
Markus J. Eser
Weinakademiker und Herausgeber „Der Weinkalender“