Bierzo might be part of the vast Castilla y León wine area but climatically and stylistically it feels more Galician, its neighbour to the west. It shares the Atlantic influence, cooling the climate and increasing rainfall to some extent, though the Cordillera Cantábrica shields the region from excess precipitation. Above all it is the Mencía grape for reds and the mountains that make Bierzo stand out, rising to many hundreds of metres above sea level.