Dominio do Bibei

Bodega Dominio de Bibei was founded in 2001 by Francisco Javier Domínguez – the brother of famed
Galician fashion designer Adolfo Domínguez – to honour his family roots and promote the wines from
Ribeira Sacra, at that time a mostly unknown wine region whose tradition goes back to Roman times.

Located between the Galician provinces of Lugo and Ourense, the dramatic landscape of the DO Ribeira
Sacra has been shaped by the Sil river, which has carved gorges up to 500 metres. Growing grapes in
Ribeira Sacra is such a difficult task that it is typically being referred to as 'heroic viticulture.'

Bodega Dominio de Bibei is located in the Bibei valley – Bibei is a tributary of the Sil river – on the
easternmost tip of the designation, close to the DO Valdeorras. The estate vineyards cover a surface area
of 30 hectares in the Manzaneda area, which has an Atlantic climate with dry summers and huge
temperature differences between daytime and nighttime. The vines are planted on north-oriented slopes – a key factor for producing fresh wines, the defining feature of the house style – between 350 and 920
metres of altitude. The soils made of schist, granite, clay and slate. Besides the estate-grown grapes, the
winery sources grapes from trusted local winegrowers.

Over three-fourths of all the estate vineyards of Bodega Dominio do Bibei are planted with Mencía. The
signature red grape of Ribeira Sacra – an area where red wine accounts for up to 90% of total
production – shares the land with other local varieties, like Brancellao, Sousón, Caíño, Grenache Tintorera
and the recovered Gran Negro or Vella da Caixata. The main white variety is Godello, followed by
Albariño, Doña Blanca, Treixadura, Colgadeira and Torrontés. The wines are vinified and aged in
different types of vessels, like stainless steel tanks, wooden vats, oak barrels and concrete eggs. Until
2015, Sara Pérez and René Barbier Jr. of Priorat fame teamed with the winery as consulting winemakers.

Stylistically speaking, the wines of bodega Dominio do Bibei are fresh and precise expressions of place,
with a moderate alcohol content and unobtrusive oak influence. The flagship wine is the red Lalama, one
of the best introductions to the Ribeira Sacra region available on the market. It is worth mentioning that
the winery also owns 10 hectares of vineyards in the DO Ribeiro, an area known for white wines like
Lalume, a stimulating blend of native Galician varieties.

Average yearly production of Dominio do Bibei winery is around 130,000 bottles. In the DO Ribeiro, the
winery makes around 40,000 bottles per year.

• Year of foundation: 2001
• Address: Langullo
• City: Manzaneda
• Province: Ourense
• Zip code: 32781
• Country: Spain
• Phone number: +34 988 358 435
• Dominio do Bibei
• Guided visits? No 
• Wine tourism services? No 

Designation of origin:

Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro

Red wine varieties:

Mencía, Brancellao, Sousón, Caíño, Grenache Tintorera, Gran Negro o Vella da Caixata.

White wine varieties:

Godello, Albariño, Doña Blanca, Treixadura, Colgadeira, Torrontés.