First, Galicians and foreigners alike boarded the viñobus and set off to the bodega (winery). The place boasts a stunning view, perched above its vineyards which go down steeply to the Río Sil below. Straddling the provinces of Lugo and Ourense, the Ribeira Sacra really must be the most beautiful wine region in the world. Inside we toured the winery and learned about the wine-making process. We observed workers manually removing twigs and leaves caught up with the grapes, before moving on to a machine which shakes out the small stuff.
After the tour, we got down to business! In pairs we were handed plastic crates and a pair of scissors. Some of the rows of vines were in a flat patch. But others of us opted to harvest grapes the heroic way: climbing down a ways to a steeper row! I partnered up with a French girl. Of course, everyone sampled the grapes we were picking. Delicious! After taking in the view and filling our carton up halfway, we called it quits. And we let the owner carry our carton of grapes up the hill. Hey, we're not getting paid for this!Next was the winetasting. Our fellow tour members had a lot of questions. And the host didn't actually explain much about the 3 types of wine we were sampling as I had hoped, so my friends and I just zoned out and tasted the wines. One was aged, one was young, and one was organic. In the Ribeira Sacra, almost all of them are young. One year and done! (Whereas the wines in Bordeaux are mostly barrel-aged) My favorite was the organic one.
Astute readers will know that this grand wine tour is missing just one step. Yes, squashing grapes! After the wine tasting (who planned this order?!) some of us took off our socks and shoes and hopped into a big pit of grapes. The feeling was...strange. It was gross, but you got used to it quickly. Squelch squelch. To top off the day, lunch was included. Obviously. Because this is Galicia. Where food and wine always combine! And we left with another super Galician experience under our belts. Who'll join us for a repeat next fall?
