After the ancient Romans had finished mining the area for gold, they planted vines, and the wines produced were mentioned in several inscriptions in Latin.

The vineyards of the Valdeorras DOP are on the banks of the river Sil, which flows westwards from Castile and León to the province of Ourense.

In addition to this, there are also risks of late frosts and hailstones in spring, excessive heat in summer, and violent storms caused by the mixture of the sea breezes and the dry air of the Castilian plain.

The Recommended white grapes are Godello, Loureira, Treixadura Albariño, Torrontés, Lado, and Dona Branca; also authorized is Palomino Fino.

The Recommended red grapes are Mencía, Tempranillo, Merenzao, Sousón, Brancellao, Caíño Tinto, Ferrón, and Espadeiro; also authorized are Gran Negro, Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Mouratón.