Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/711666
112 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 The Terroir The soils of Rías Baixas are fairly uniform in profile, with hard granite as underlying rock. The wet, coastal climate also supports mineral-rich alluvial top soils, a combina - tion of clay, silt, sand and gravel that forms over time from deposits left by running water. There is a limited amount of organic material in the soil, and an extremely high level of minerality, creating ideal conditions to produce aromatic and crisp Albariño. Galicia bears a stronger resemblance to the green fields and rocky coasts of Ireland than to the classic images of Spain's drier Castilian plains. Often referred to as Green Spain, the hillsides of Galicia recall the ancient Celtic history of the region, and are covered in mist that shrouds gran - ite castles, vineyards and manor houses. Mother Nature does not grant an emerald landscape without a price: high rainfall. The region's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean brings a cool maritime climate with ample rain balanced by more than 2,200 hours of abundant sunshine during the critical growing and ripening season for Albariño. The Land According to local legend, the Rías Baixas inlets are the traces left by the fingers of God's hand. Rías Baixas is Galician for "lower estuaries" and refers to four arms of the sea—including the Ría de Pontevedra and the Ría de Vigolocated in Galicia. These are deep, wide inlets of water, reaching many miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Their mix of fresh and salt water sustains perhaps the world's richest maritime life—and also contribute to the distinctive, lush geography of the region