It is the noble variety par excellence.
Its use was recorded by the first time at the beginning of the 18th century, even though its variability suggests a cultivation ancient tradition. Its noble origins are manifested in its capability to produce the best quality expressions in dry and sunny banks. No doubt Treixadura is the result of a careful selection, being the Ribeiro region its ideal habitat. Treixadura shoots and ripens late; it is therefore sensitive to high altitudes, where it wouldn’t ripen correctly. Treixadura is also used as a base variety in the elaboration of toast Ribeiro wines. Toast wines were actually responsible of this appellation’s popularity in the past.
Treixadura grape bunches are small medium sized, formed by elliptic and cramped grapes. When ripe they acquire a beautiful golden pigmentation with purple highlights. Its skin is thick and quite hard- as the word Treixadura itself implies, meaning “dura”, “hard”-. The hardness of the skin makes this variety more resistant to bunch rottenness (Botrytis Cinerea).
Treixadura wines combine enough alcoholic gradation (12 to 13.5º Vol.), notable acidity and a robust style, full in the mouth, which generates at the same time delicate and subtle floral and fruity aromas, elegant and complex.
The balance between its body structure and delicate expression is so perfect, that it clearly explains its protagonist role in the Ribeiro wine blends, being able to elaborate wines that can be aged in the bottle.

Souson is a red autochthonous variety, being nowadays the most cultivated red one and of increasing in importance in the Ribeiro district. It shows a great polyphenolic potential. It is not commonly used for the one variety elaboration of wines, but it is used as a base in different proportions for the development of interesting, different and particular wines.
In terms of cultivation it isn’t a lush plant, but it is drought resistant. It easily adapts to sandy soils. It shows average fertility and low productivity (8 to 11 tones/hectare). Its flowering period is medium to late and its ripening cycle is long. For this reason Souson is normally planted in areas that propitiate an early ripening. It is fairly sensitive to Mildew and Botrytis, but quite resistant to Powdery Mildew.
Its wines can reach high alcoholic gradations (12.5 to 14 º) and still keep an excellent acidity of 6 to 8 grams per litre of tartaric acid. Anyway, its most representative characteristic is its high content in polyphenol, which provides Sousón wines with and excellent structure and intense colour. As for the aroma, it is moderate and of fruits of the forest, such as blackberry and blackcurrant.