Perhaps it is still a bit unknown amongst the vast panorama of Spanish wine, due to the scare quantity of grapes that are processed in this area as well as the number of existing wineries. But it is important to know that the councils of South Western Asturias have been linked to wine for over ten centuries.
As an anecdote that certifies its roots and traditional, one detail is enough, the towns where vineyards are planted today coincide almost fully with the places where wine was produced in the Middle Ages.
The abbots of the Monastery of Corias, Juan II and Pedro II, had already had a relevant role having incorporated the grape to their dominions and started to make wine.
Wine vacation is an undoubtable trend and Asturias it is becoming more and more permeable to this phenomenon. Here you will not find large buildings or thousands of sleeping barrels. The Asturian wineries are small, artisan, you could even say family-owned. The steep terrain of the area is a complete surprise for the visitor, who is also often fascinated by the originality of the wines. You can walk around the vineyard, get to know the production process, discover the indigenous varieties, observe the barrel room and even taste the wine of the different wineries.
Cangas wine has received many awards throughout history and it now enjoys a moment of splendor, with a professionalisation and a care of the vines that was not applied in the same way for decades, when homemade and local consumption prevailed. Behind, the times in which six thousand hectares in the area were counted remain, today many less, but ahead, a path full of opportunities and successes can be glimpsed.
Why? Because it has a good trump card in its hand, since it has some varied native grapes, like the Albarín white grape (not to be confused with Albariño because its characteristics are very different) and the Carrasquín reds, black Albarín and black Verdejo. If to this we add the changes that the climate is experiencing, since it is sunny in itself in these councils, the grape obtains an ideal level of natural ripening.
The landscape is abrupt, mountainous, with slopes whose gradients exceed 30 degrees of inclination. Imagine what the grape harvest could be like, only apt for the strong: a "heroic viticulture".
Currently, ten wineries have their headquarters in Asturias, located in the municipalities of Cangas del Narcea, Degaña, Ibias and Siero. In the path, new projects are appearing, that confirm that the Asturian vineyards have their attractive and that they will offer in the next few years very deep, fertile soil.
It is certain that they have achieved something that few thought would happen, that the Cangas wines would have a back label that allows them to differentiate themselves, recognise a historic wine region and go out with pride to the national competitive market. Cangas wine has changed a lot in the last 20 years, improving with each crop, looking after each vine more, looking for more balanced wines that harmonise well with Asturian gastronomy. Currently, they have seven manufacturing wine cellars and over 50 wine-growers welcomed to this quality mark, approved by the European Union in 2014, that manufacture around a hundred thousand litres.
