Galicia Wine Tour

The rest of the afternoon is yours at leisure in Baiona to enjoy the picturesque walks along the fortress walls, the old town, the appealing beaches, the nautical shops and wine bars, and the pretty marina. Free evening to dine at your hotel or in the fishing port.

Your next winery is Terras Gauda, a high-end Albariño estate known for its distinctive hand wrapped bottles. The operation here is on a much grander scale, offering a nice contrast. You will get some fresh air and visit the vines by 4X4, learning all about the terroir that contributes to making these wines so special. After a tour of the winery and cellars, finish with a private tasting in their professional tasting room with the best wines of their Terras Gauda and Abadia de San Campio lines. Our personal favorite: the black label (Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra) oak aged beauty, which is a blend of 70% Albariño, 20% Caiño y 10% Loureiro. Amazing wine!

After a fantastic morning in the wine country, you will be ready for lunch, which we have planned for you in the town of Vigo. Chef Rafa Centeno is at the helm of Michelin starred Maruja Limon, across from the Royal Yacht Club of Vigo. The cuisine and setting are fun, creative, and fashionable. You’ll sit down to a relaxed chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings. You might like a digestive stroll around the marina afterward before heading back to Baiona for your last evening.

Enjoy a wonderful lunch at their Sábrego restaurant, named after the characteristic decomposed granite found in the vineyard soils of Ribeiro. The dining room is a beauty, with hardwood floors, wooden beams, wine bottle chandeliers and cozy stone walls decorated with large golden mirrors and wine collections. A sumptuous lunch presented with flair awaits! Depending on the season, this could be slow-cooked wild boar with chestnuts, tender lamb shoulder, lobster rice, Lourenzá white beans with hake, and so many more delicious dishes- all paired with estate bottlings of course.

After lunch, stroll around the nearby medieval hamlet of Ribadavia, whose Jewish quarter is one of the most important in Northern Spain. In the Middle Ages, the wine trade of Ribeiro was controlled by the local Jewish community, who are also credited with perfecting the terracing and irrigation systems in the vineyards. Today it is a preserved little hamlet famous for its medieval festival and its Jewish heritage. You can visit the Jewish bakery, grab a coffee or glass of wine, and get some atmospheric photos.

Then in the early evening, carry on to your next very special hotel- a converted monastery set in a deep green valley in the Nogueira de Ramuín chestnut forest. Free evening to dine onsite, relax in their little spa, go for a mountain walk, etc.

After a terrific start, the day continues to get better with a scenic drive to one of our favorite wineries in Galicia- Adega Algueira. Their handsome stone manor houses a fine wine estate and restaurant and is surrounded by their immaculate, terraced vines and a garden. Fernando Algueira is the brilliant owner winemaker of this leading Ribera Sacra winery. His passion project began in 1979 when he started to recover abandoned historic vineyards and the ancient stone terraces on his property that spill down at an 85-degree angle to the Sil River. Winemaking is called heroic in this region for a reason! Fernando’s dedication, talent, and patience have resulted in frankly fantastic wines, which you will have the chance to taste today. His red wines are superb, made with Mencia, Caiño, and Souón grapes cultivated in slate and shale rich soils here, and the white wines are also a revelation. Anadelia, their oak-aged white made with Godello and Treixadura, is one of Spain’s best white wines.

Fernando himself will talk you through his wines on a private, ample, professional tasting following a vineyard tour. Then you can sit back and savor them with a traditional Galician lunch at their bright, sunlit restaurant with relaxing green views of the garden’s lush trees. Try mouthwatering local dishes like giant mussels from Rias Baixas. Octopus served “á feira” style (with Spanish paprika, sea salt, and olive oil), wild mushroom croquettes, lacón ham, and “Volandeiras” (queen scallops cooked in Godello wine, garlic, and parsley)- all served with estate wines, naturally. You will have a happy tummy and a smile on your face as your chauffeur takes you on a panoramic drive back to the hotel this afternoon. The rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure for a hike, spa time, or chillaxing.

At the Embarcadero bar Os Chancís you can relish the views one last time over a coffee or snack before continuing to Santiago de Compostela, your next base. It is a two-hour drive, so after the wine tasting this morning, you might like to shut your eyes for a siesta. Your chauffeur will take you to the hotel for check-in, and then you will have a few free hours to have lunch on your own, with our recommendations (and reservation, if you like). In the late afternoon, then your local private guide, specialized in art and architecture, will meet you in the hotel to take you on an engrossing walking tour through this spellbinding, medieval town. You will hear legends and anecdotes about saints and sinners, Romans and Celts, pirates and Templar knights, and more on this fascinating walk. Named after the Apostle Saint James (Santiago), this is one of the most important towns of Christendom in the world, and you will see exquisite squares and religious architecture as a testament.

After free time to freshen up, dinner tonight will be organized for you at Michelin starred A Tafona. One of Spain’s most famous female chefs, Lucia Freitas, cooks colorful and inspired market-led dishes in an enchanting stone townhouse. Savor her tasting menu with Spanish wine pairings. This is a food highlight of the trip!

The regal Pazo Baión property is extensive and encompasses the historic winery, a 15th-century castle (pazo), and a noble dovecote (a sign of prestige). Admire the manicured gardens, orange trees, camellias, hydrangeas, banana trees, wisteria-covered patios, a palm tree grove, and 30 hectares of tidy vineyards including precious, old vine albariño. This is one of the most distinctive and majestic wine estates in Galicia, and you will spend an unforgettable morning here. After touring the impeccable grounds and new state of the art winery, you will have an idyllic tasting set up for you on a gentle hill overlooking the castle, under centuries-old trees with panoramic views of the whole estate. Don’t forget the camera! You will get to try 6 of their best wines in this extraordinary alfresco tasting.

Switch gears and head to ultra-modern Martin Codax next, the most famous Albariño sold outside of Spain. The story behind the name and branding of this winery (founded in the 1980s) is great. Martin Codax was the most renowned Gallego troubadour, a medieval lyrical poet. His poems, written in ancient Galician/Portuguese, were an ode to love (like all troubadours), as well as Galicia’s Atlantic coastline and the sea. This winery chose this as the theme and inspiration for the bottle labels and branding, including their flagship Albariño bottle, which features an excerpt from one of these medieval poems in the original script. Your visit kicks off with a welcome aperitif overlooking the water and nearby Cambados. On a private tour, you will have a quick look at the winery and their small interactive wine museum, before the main highlight- a professional tasting of their best wines, paired with Galician cheese. Facing the alluring coast, in a trendy, nautical themed tasting area with your sommelier, you will remember this tasting forever.

It will be hard to leave the comfy tasting area with those views, but lunch awaits! In the quaint hamlet of nearby Cambados, your last meal of the trip is next at one of our favorite wine country spots in Galicia- Taberna do Trasno. In a private corner of this Bib Gourmand awarded restaurant you will indulge in a convivial and very lazy lunch, this is the life! The cuisine is Basque and Gallego fusion and market-fresh, with many daily specials. They have a fantastic wood-fired grill, and the Galician beef here is top class. You will have a three-course lunch with stellar wine pairings, all served in an exclusive and private area overlooking the enchanting cobblestoned street. Before heading back to Santiago, you will have some free time to take in a digestive walk around Cambados (there are great little wine shops here). Then there is one last stop, right in the heart of historic Cambados- Palacio Fefinanes. This is a short but worthwhile visit to see their tiny, ancient cellars, beautiful palace, and to sit under their historic wine barriques while sipping this super high-end Albariño. Tonight you have a free evening at leisure to enjoy Santiago on your own, so beautiful lit up at night.