Galician wines have long been on the front page of numerous specialised media outlets, not only nationally but also internationally. It is also common for bottles from wineries coming out of Galicia to end up in very distinguished spaces and to be recognised for their excellent quality.

There are currently 19 wineries and nearly 70 wines that carry the seal of Galicia Calidade. The first winery to join was Adega Os Eidos, from the Rías Baixas appellation in 2007, and the last to join were Viños do Barco (Valdeorras appellation), Terriña (Valdeorras appellation), Gran Bazán (Rías Baixas appellation) and Viña Costeira (Ribeiro appellation).

There are certain specifications for the granting and use of the Galicia Calidade seal, which establishes that, in order to qualify for the distinction, wines must be protected by one of the five Protected Designations of Origin (DOPs) (Monterrei, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro and Valdeorras), or Protected Geographical Indications of Galicia through its Regulatory Council.

New plans to add more wineries

The managing director of Galicia Calidade, Ana Méndez, says that in 2023 it will be working on the implementation of several specific actions so that more wineries have the seal, with the aim of helping them in their internationalisation and increasing sales in the domestic market and abroad. "With the seal, we will get our wines to reach other countries because Galicia is calling and everyone outside Spain will know about us", she says.

Ana Méndez explains that adding the seal to the bottles produced in the different Galician PDOs is a distinctive feature that helps them with promotion, with their knowledge inside and outside Galicia and also helps them to sell more. The actions, which will be extended to all sectors, aim to increase sales of products with the Galicia Calidade distinction.

In this sense, Galicia Calidade will also organise its own sector-specific events to increase consumer awareness and attract potential customers. 

The idea behind the actions that Galicia Calidade is working on for the wine sector is to help those wines that are produced in the Community to go abroad and become more popular, together with the identification that each Regulatory Council brings.

The certified wineries carry out an important work of identity of what Galicia is under quality parameters that are marked by each of the Regulatory Councils of the different areas where the wine is produced. "They all have their own characteristics and common regulations that make them very well regulated and meet the requirements to be quality wines," summarises Ana Méndez.

In addition to the efforts made by the winemakers to achieve high quality wines for consumption, which is reflected in increased sales, Méndez also highlights the importance of their work in recovering the land by planting new vineyards.