Ribadavia’s Vineyards and Wine: Legal Considerations on Late Medieval and Early Modern Times

Abstract

The Ribeiro Denomination of Origin, with a current extension of three thousand hectares, has a tradition rooted in the Middle Ages. The cultivation of vines, supported by the presence of religious orders, reaches large dimensions in the basins of the rivers Miño and Avia, in the present province of Orense. In this area, the small and concentrated Galician town of Ribadavia, settled near the confluence of the Rio Minho and the last stretch of the river Avia, is known in the Late Middle Ages as the producer of ribeiro wine, also called «ribadavia.» This product boosts the town’s economy, which is reflected in a series of royal and municipal ordinances that impose protectionist regulations to the vineyard, winemaking and its trade. The jurisprudence reflects how the town’s authority, with the development of legal mechanisms, organizes the practices of grape growing, wine production and trade, all in defense of local interests. The analysis of these regulations, focus of this study, shows a landscape that gives identity to the village and that, without losing its distinctive character, is identified with the characteristics of European Viticulture.