Adega do Ricon (Arbo Pontevedra) ORGANIC
Having started our Spanish trip in April 2023 in Barcelona and taken in Cava country, Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Bierzo all in blazing sunshine and parched landscapes, our final stop was in moist green Galicia with Albarino on our mind. In the morning we found an excellent Rías Baixas (coming in Autumn). With our friend Nacho’s help (that’s Nacho Leon of Demencia, Pyjama & Taruguin fame) we found ourselves in the afternoon opposite the Portuguese border on the north bank of the Minho river in the pouring rain. “You know I don’t have the D.O?” said Adrian Ricon. (D.O. = Denominacion de origen: the official geographical recognition). That doesn’t bother us at all – it’s the quality of the wine that matters. And the quality of his organic Blanco (85% Albarino with 5% each of Loureira, Treixadura and Godello) was superb.
CUW Cambados Urban Winery (Cambados/Galicia)
It was super-hot and extremely dry everywhere we went in Spain in April 2023, until we arrived in Galicia. There’s a reason why it’s so green there: it rains frequently, some might say constantly. We went to visit Antonio Galinanes of CUW, Cambados Urban Winery, in the heart of Rias Baixas, the spiritual home of Albarino. Antonio showed us three of his small parcels of vines, all very close to the water. One directly on the sea front, another directly on the estuary. He currently has just 2.2 hectares with another 0.7 plot on the way. The first vintage of his wine, Desconcierto Rias Baixas, was 2015. Our first shipment, the 2022, has notes of citrus zest and a whisper of sea air.
