Ribiera Sacra Wine

Next on my agenda today: the Wine Interpretation Centre: a thoroughly modern exposition of the importance of wine in this area. It is built on the site of an old hospital. Wine produced here has only became well known in recent years, because the small wineries only produced what could be drunk locally. They finally joined together into a co-operative and adopted the name Ribeira Sacra, meaning “Sacred Riverbank” as a marketing ploy. A bit like Margaret River, I suppose. However, they have a huge disadvantage in that the vines are all grown on steeply sloping terraces so that there is no way for production to be mechanised.

Courtyard of old hospital.

Grapes of this region.

A “river” of white wine bottles.

Time for a taste with my very knowledgeable guide.

Can’t buy any, though! Can’t carry it.

Poster of wine labels.

On my way back to my hotel, I stopped to take a photo of the “Roman Bridge”, really a medieval structure but retaining an original name:

After this, I was suddenly pounced upon by a Spanish woman, Aida Menendez, the author of the official guidebook to the Camino Invierno. She lives in Monforte and appears to prowl the streets looking for pilgrims! She was very excited to find one from Australia and I was excited to meet her. I recognised her immediately from her photo in the guidebook. She then accosted two passersby and got them to take our photo:

Nice colour co-ordination!