Bierzo (DO)

42°33′N 6°35′W / 42.550°N 6.583°W / 42.550; -6.583

Bierzo DOP

Wine region
Bierzo DOP in the province of León in the region of Castile and León
Official name	C.R.D.O. Bierzo
Type	Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP)
Year established	1989
Country	Spain
Size of planted vineyards	2,854 hectares (7,052 acres)
No. of wineries	70[1]
Wine produced	40,729 hectolitres
Comments	Data for 2016 / 2017

Bierzo is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the northwest of the province of León (Castile and León, Spain) and covers about 3,000 km². It borders on the provinces of Ourense, Lugo and Asturias in the north and in the south on areas of La Montaña, la Cabrera and La Meseta, in Léon. The area consists of numerous small valleys in the mountainous part (Alto Bierzo) and of a wide, flat plain (Bajo Bierzo). The DO covers 23 municipalities including the largest town of the area, Ponferrada (population about 70,000).

The Bierzo cultivation area is located in the tectonic basin of the Bercian part of the Sil River valley.

The wines of this designation of origin are made exclusively with authorized grape varieties. Among the reds, Mencía stands out, and among the whites, Doña Blanca and Godello are prominent. Additionally, three experimental varieties are included, although they are pending the corresponding authorization from the Junta of Castilla y León. Currently, this designation is among those with the greatest international projection in Spain.