Heroic Viticulture: The Resurgence of Ribeira Sacra's Ancestral Wines

In Spain's Ribeira Sacra region, local winegrowers practice 'heroic viticulture' with the help of Moldovan laborers. Despite challenges like the near-extinction of ancestral vine varieties due to Phylloxera infestations, the area has regained its international prestige through traditional handpicked winemaking.

In the picturesque northwestern corner of Spain, grape-stained hands meticulously extract indigo-hued fruits in a practice known as 'heroic viticulture.' This human-intensive process is key to Ribeira Sacra's highly prized wines, grown on steep, terraced hills.

The Ribeira Sacra, with its Romanesque churches and V-shaped valleys, offers a unique microclimate and mineral-rich slate soil beneficial to varieties like Mencia, Godello, and Loureira. Fernando Gonzalez of Algueira winery describes the viticulture as 'dramatic,' capturing the love-and-hate relationship it fosters among its practitioners.

Although nearly decimated by the Phylloxera pest in the early 20th century, government subsidies post-Franco have revived the region's heirloom vines. According to British-Spanish wine writer Harold Heckle, the effort has transformed Ribeira Sacra's wines into a symbol of cultural and historical appreciation, elevating it to the 'preserve of the informed wealthy.'

(With inputs from agencies.)