ENG Salty (from two seas). Or sweet (from the Miño Riv- er, which flows through three of its four provinces). Or it often falls from the sky (up to 140 days a year). Yes, Galicia is a paradise for water. And its origin determines the rich- ness and diversity of its gastronomy. This cuisine of the sea is particularly showcased in the Rías Baixas area (one of the five wine designations of origin in Galicia), where there is a route – rutadelvinoriasbaixas.com– unfolds around 17 unique grape varieties: ‘Other regions share grape varieties with other territories, but in our case this is not so,’ says Lorena Varela, manager of the Ruta do Viño Rías Baixas. Among trellised vineyards, the route pass- es through five sub-areas: Condado do Tea, where you can ‘enjoy a good lamprey’; O Rosal, ‘with multi-varietal wines’; Val do Salnés, the most coastal area and birth- place of Albariño Rías Baixas. This ‘very fresh, very Atlan- tic’ wine that is also produced in Soutomaior and Ribeira do Ulla, and which pairs perfectly with preserves, ‘a fan- tastic product that is very popular in Rías Baixas’. But... ‘we mustn’t forget those full-bodied age-worthy wines, which pair well with more elaborate fish dishes,’ notes Varela. Territorial gastronomy extends here among green riv- erside forests, especially in the valleys of inland Lugo, where the Galician rubia cow reigns supreme. Raised freely, its meat has ‘such an intense flavour that you don’t have to do much to it because it speaks for itself,’ say Bor- ja Piñeiro and Elia Pereira, from the Lado restaurant (San Andrés de Porqueirós, Muíños, Ourense). ‘The best area for beef is the Ribeira Sacra,’ bathed by two rivers, the Miño and the Sil, where viticulture reaches heroic levels. © Getty Images Vacas de raza cachena en la Serra do Xurés. // Cachena cows grazing in the Serra do Xurés. © Getty Images Copas de Albariño en los Molinos de Lores, Pontevedra. // Glasses of Albariño wine at Molinos de Lores, Pontevedra.