Through the villages on the Santiago Ruiz label. From Vigo to O Rosal along coast.

There is a great story behind our iconic label. In 1965, Santiago Ruiz was looking for a label for his wine when - as fate would have it - his elder daughter Isabel was just finalising the preparations for her wedding in the family home in San Miguel de Tabagón. In order to help the guests find their way to such a secluded spot, the bride drew a map on a serviette showing routes to the venue from Vigo, either along the coast or through the interior.

And this is how the image was born, an image that is still being used 50 years later. A label that shows kilometre 49 on the road from Vigo to A Guardia, the exact location of our historic winery.

From Vigo to O Rosal along the coast
According to our label, this is the route that the guests had to follow to reach the family home in O Rosal. A trip through the Rías Baixas, in the province of Pontevedra, along the road that runs from Vigo to A Guardia.

Islas Cíes

We start in Vigo (http://www.turismodevigo.org/), the largest city in Galicia, located in the heart of the Rías Baixas. A city that you can't visit without taking a stroll along the Samil beach, with its fine, white sand. From here you can look out over the Cíes Islands - one of the essential visits during your time spent in Vigo - and its famous Rodas Beach, named the best beach in the world by The Guardian. Enjoy your stay by losing yourself in the streets of its old town or casco vello and its beautiful sights, particularly the Colegiata, as the Vigo Cathedral, the Santa María church, is known.

You can visit the Celtic origins of the settlement now known as Vigo at the monte de O Castro, a fortress located on a headland in the city, from where you can enjoy marvellous views of the Vigo River and the port. And if what you fancy is a long walk along the seafront, go from Vigo's old town to Bouzas, a neighbourhood of the city that retains the charm of an ancient fishing village.

After leaving Vigo, we continue our journey along the coast to the town of Baiona and the Monterreal Castle, a National Parador Hotel, a 12th century fortress, where construction finished in the 16th century. This town is famous for being the first to learn of the discovery of the Americas, when Martín Alonso Pinzón arrived back from his journey to the new world on the 1st March 1493. As a present-day homage, a replica of the ship can be visited in the port.

The next stop before reaching O Rosal is A Guardia, separated from Portugal by the Miño River. From the monte Santa Trega you can look out over the marvellous views of the Miño estuary and the port. On this promontory you can visit the castro de Santa Trega, the remains of a Galician-Roman settlement and one of the most important examples of the "Castro" culture in the Iberian Peninsula.

After leaving A Guardia we head to our final destination, kilometre 49, the historic Santiago Ruiz winery.