Our trip to Galicia Spain, home of albarino wines

Alex and I spent two months cruising on our boat in the northwest region of Spain this summer. It was a remarkable trip for so many reasons. First, the Rias Baixas in the region south of Finisterre are a superb cruising area, with multiple Rias or inlets that have an interesting coastline, lovely old villages and towns, beautiful barrier islands, the best seafood in the world, temperate weather, and fine wines. Oh, and it's not very expensive.



We took the opportunity to sample many of the regional albarinos. It's a crisp wine with sea salt overtones, perfect for pairing with fish, the main food staple of the region. Pulpo (octopus) is a particular favourite and the region is one of the world's largest producers of mussels. All kinds of shellfish and fish are brought out in tapas portions or served with delicious potatoes for a main course. We were in foodie heaven there.

Interestingly, as we walked the hills with pilgrims trudging along the Camino de Santiago, we noticed that almost every home has a vineyard and an orchard, regardless of how small the garden. It is part of the culture. Small vineyards produce wine with no labels and sell them through local shops for about €2.50 a bottle. Many are selected as house wines by restaurants nearby. They can often be delicious.

We also took the opportunity to visit a vineyard. Granbazan is one of the largest producers of albarino wines in the region. They have sourced vines producing the best grapes from throughout the region and grafted them onto their own root stock. They also buy in grapes from small vineyards and have been granted Denominación de Origen Rias Baixas.

The Rias Baixas have an Atlantic climate; the temperature is cool and it rains a lot. For this reason, they have developed a unique system of training their vines in a trellis system called “parra” (pergola). These ensure maximum sun exposure, ventilation and elevation of the vines above the damp soil. These horizontal trellises are positioned about 6 feet off the ground and harvesting is done by hand.

Seeing this led us to think that such a system may be exactly what we need to adopt in Ireland. Not only do we get about the same amount of rainfall, but we are also by the sea. They made a big deal of how the salt air affects the quality of the grapes and gives their wines a salty overtone. We toured the facilities and then had a 5 course meal paired with wines they create both in Spain and abroad, topped off with their own liqueurs. We were encouraged by everything we learned.

Next I will show you what we found when we returned home after two months away.