Barnacles and Albariño: Rías Baixas Wines and Galician Gastronomy

Eating barnacles in Galicia with my traveling companion Austin was a delight and challenge. I had unexpectedly met my gastronomic match. I ate too well. I ate too much. I drank too well. I drank too much. 

Our Spanish hosts commented, “Ustedes son golosos,” which is to say, “You are gourmands.” That isn’t necessarily flattering, but it’s correct. 

This occurred during a thinly veiled seafood-eating trip disguised as a wine-tasting tour of Galicia, Spain. More on this and other related encounters to follow. But first, some background on Galicia.

A Visit to “Green Spain”

Galicia is known as “Green Spain,” and stands in stark contrast to the hot and arid destinations most people think of when Spain comes to mind. Galicia is tucked into the northwesternmost corner of Spain, pointing directly north across the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean at Ireland, and shares borders with Portugal to the south. 

It is off the beaten tourist trail, so wine and food travelers find it particularly appealing. Rías Baixas – say it with me: REE-ahs Buy-shas – is the primary winegrowing region in Galicia and is the very definition of its signature grape, Albariño. 

The Pergolas of Galicia

I loved the use of pergolas in Galicia and I learned the practical and important role they have in grape growing. It’s surprising and impressive to see the vines supported by large upright stone and granite pillars, which make use of the natural materials available here. The pergola system is used to elevate the grapevines, protecting them from moisture and rot, and provide airflow beneath, which prevents mildew. 

The Galicians also take advantage of the ground below by growing an assortment of comestibles – peas, broad beans, potatoes, carrots, mint, watermelons, and indigenous cover crops like white clover. They are resourceful farmers above all else.

My traveling companion Austin Beeman and I spent four days in the Rías Baixas (RB) region of Galicia. We stationed ourselves in the seaside city of Cambados which is located in the Salnes Valley. Having visited, I can’t help but think of Albariño wines in the context of seafood, produce, and the local cuisine; all are equal parts of the maritime “terroir” of the area. 

Galician Wine: It’s All About the Albariño

It is likely that Romans originally planted grapes on slopes of the river valleys over 2,000 years ago. Pilgrims and monks traveling from the Rhine River along the Camino de Santiago brought vine cuttings and introduced Albariño into the region around 1000 A.D.

Rías Baixas is considered the birthplace and principal location where the Albariño grape variety is grown. The same grape flourishes in Portugal just south of Galicia under the name Albarinho. 

This grape is planted on terraced hillsides and thrives in the cool maritime climate. It results in light white wine with high acidity. It’s fresh and medium bodied, with flavors of citrus or stone fruit and a hint of salinity due to its location on the North Atlantic. 

These Albariño wines are ideal sippers, and pair well with the abundance of local fresh seafood. Almost any Albariño on a restaurant list will work with whatever seafood is on offer. 

In Search of the Best Albariño

Here are some wineries to visit in the Cambados area offering excellent quality wine that are largely available in the US and internationally. All of these wineries have fascinating histories and welcome visitors by appointment. Don’t forget to ask them what seafood and local dishes pair best with their style of Albariño. 

And do keep reading to learn more about my wine-tasting and eating adventures with Austin.

Constantina Sotelo 

The Sotelo family has been farming and making wine for about 200 years. Constantina Sotelo started commercial production under her boutique label in 2010. She’s one of many women winemakers in RB. David is an entertaining host and explains their approach to making “natural” wines. This includes no additions of yeast or other chemicals in the winery, and only organic sprays to prevent disease in the vineyards.

Try the “Dama Xoana” Albariño, which David says pairs beautifully with Atun a la plancha (grilled tuna). 

This is a family-run operation and as such the tasting room does not have official open hours, but you can easily email to arrange an appointment with David Sotelo at info@constantinasotelo.com. He’ll show you around and taste you though a vast array of natural wines. Not many small producers still offer this type of behind-the-scenes experience.

Bodegas Granbazán

Founded in 1981, the Bodegas Granbazán winery is situated on an expansive property and a tour reveals its decades of history. This is one of the many neoclassical manor houses worth visiting. I fell in love with this property and easily could have spent the balance of the day here — walking, sitting, dining, and sipping. I may do just that the next time I visit RB. 

Granbazán is also philanthropic and supports local children through “AMICO,” a work program that employs children and people with disabilities and also participates in Special Olympics programs. 

There are several experiences offered — tasting-only, tour and tasting, and food pairing added to the above. Guided tours and tastings are available by appointment Tuesday-Saturday. There is also a full-service restaurant open Wednesday-Sunday, with reservations suggested. This makes Granbazán an ideal post-morning extended stop for lunch and all the above. Our lunch was breathtaking, as were the wines.

Try the Don Albaro de Bazan Albariño with pulpo (octopus) and “Patatas de Galicia,” potatoes from an official D.O. (Denomination of Origin). Our host quipped “there are more D.O.s than potatoes in Spain.”

Paco y Lola

Fondly known as the polka-dot winery, Paco y Lola was founded by growers in 2005. It is one of the newest and largest cooperatives, with over 400 members. The winery has several sustainability certifications and is working to achieve the United Nations 2030 Sustainability Agenda.

Paco y Lola is another winemaking team led by women, and we were lucky enough to tour with Laura and taste with Nuria, both dynamic representatives of the brand. The wines are widely distributed in the U.S. and internationally. Paco & Lola is a great wine to get your exploration of the Albariño grape started.

Try the flagship Paco y Lola Albariño, which is slightly off- dry and pairs nicely with tinned fish (sardines, smoked oysters, smoked salmon, and bacalao).  

Guided tours and tastings are offered Monday-Friday in Spanish and English by appointment. The “Classic” one-hour tours conclude with tastings of three wines, and the “Gourmet” option includes a pairing of tinned fish, seafood, or pate snacks. 

Pazo Baión

The manor house of Pazo Baión was established in the 16^th century by the Lords of Sarmiento, descended from Celtic kings who subdued the tribes of Galicia. Lords and Kings, oh my. Dovecotes (pigeon houses) are one of the status symbols of noble homes from this period. We toured the fully restored dovecote with Alicia and learned that pigeons were used for, among other things, food. Be sure to visit this one.

The winery supports local drug prevention programs and labor reintegration of ex-addicted workers. 

Try the flagship Pazo Baión Albariño with the Galician cow and goat cheeses on offer at the tasting, or with fresh oysters, clams, or barnacles as soon as you can find them.

Four different historical tours and tastings are available daily except Sundays, ranging from one to two hours. This is a beautiful 75-acre manor house property, with several historic buildings, an old winery, a granary, and extensive pergolas. We spent some extra time strolling before and after our tour and tasting.

Martin Codax

Martin Codax was founded in 1985 and named after a Galician troubadour. They are one of the largest cooperative producers in Rías Baixas and was founded by 270 grape farming families. The mission is to provide research, technical and economic support to the local communities. 

Martin Codax is another winery led by a woman winemaker, Katin Alvarez. Evidently, men spent time at sea while women stayed on land and tended crops. Ultimately, half of the wineries in Rías Baixas are run by women. 

Try the widely available entry-level-priced 2023 Martin Codax Albarino, a classic with citrus notes and high acidity and perfect for pairing with Asian-style seafood dishes. 

Tours and tastings are available Monday-Saturday, and include background on the winery, vineyards, views of Cambados, and visits to the barrel cave and a tasting on the terrace. 

Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes

The Bodegas del Palacio de Feniñanes winery, built in the 17th century as a palace, has been in the family of Don Juan Gil de Araújo for over 100 years. It became a winery in 1904, and produced one of the first white wines in RB to have a commercial label in 1928. The coat of arms is displayed prominently on the palace walls and wine bottles, reminding us of a long and noble history.

The 2023 Albariño de Fefiñanes is their flagship and pairs well with pimientos de Padrón, and jamon serrano and empanadas of tuna, which you can order at the patio bar across the street.e

Tours and tastings are available by appointment Monday-Saturday. The winery is located on the main square Plaza Fefiñáns in Cambados, across from the Cathedral. This is a must-do tour and you can imagine what life may have been several hundred years ago behind the stone fortified walls. The visit is also an opportunity to tie in a lunch break at Bar Laya (noted below).

Pazo Senorans

Pazo Senorans is yet another 16^th century Galician manor house, converted into a working winery and museum. It’s a fascinating tour with all the components of classic country mansions – stone granary, pigeonary, chapel, raised pergolas, palm trees, and historic winery facilities including an original grape crush pad. 

The modern-day winery produced its first vintage in 1989. They farm over 400 different vineyards and today produce about 25K cases (300K bottles) of wine exported to 45 countries including the US. We were inspired by this guided tour, restoration of the historic estate, and of course, by the wines we tasted.

Try the flagship Pazo Senorans Albariño, which shows hints of green apples and citrus with a touch of salinity. This is a perfect pairing with any local seafood or fish stew.

Eating the Galician Sea

Almost any restaurant and bar you visit in Cambados will have tapas, raciones, and entrees — small, medium, large plates of shockingly fresh and flavorful seafood. 

The quality of the shell and fin fish was so fabulous that we revisited some of the same restaurants twice. 

You’ll find razor clams, spider crab, which can be prepared fresh or made into a pâté. Fresh sardines, anchovies, prawns, oysters, crab, octopus, calamari, clams, fish, and scallops on the half shell. It’s all insanely good and the parade of dishes continued. 

I was also delighted by the quality of the “conservas” or tinned fish, served with olive oil and crusty bread. Then there’s the Gallego version of empanadas called empanada de berberechos, a flat, crisp pastry made with estuary cockles. Hmmm, cockles.

Did I Mention Barnacles? 

This brings me back to the challenge of eating with Austin Beeman and those barnacles. 

Gooseneck barnacles (percebes) are a local delicacy that grow on the same rocks that other crustaceans cling to at the nearby waterfront. When harvested they look like crusty forefingers. You break them at the knuckle to expose the white knobby flesh — the edible barnacle body. 

They are steamed in salt and seawater like clams or lobster, and taste briny and fresh with the firm texture of a chewy green grape.

Barnacles are emblematic of our trip to Galicia, as it takes two people to harvest them – one spotter and one gatherer – and you might say, two to enjoy them. 

Barnacle specialists, we learned, carefully enter the water with rope tied to each other’s waists, much as we entered each dining situation cautiously. This is a great strategy as the bounty of seafood available is daunting, and, in the case of said barnacles, murky.

Our eating plan generally was to order and share small to large plates a la carte. And then we discovered share-plates at marisquerías, the local seafood restaurants. Sharing was exciting and rewarding and spread the risk, as at least one of us was likely to enjoy and consume even the most daring dishes: Pâté of barnacles, cockles, and the ultimate dare, raw sea urchins. 

Of Galician Seafood and God

We eagerly departed on our march to seafood one evening, headed for the Plaza Fefiñáns where most restaurants are located. We proceeded with certainty; nothing would slow us down — until we stumbled upon Cambados’ annual Corpus Christi procession just emerging from El Convento in the center of town. 

I love religious ceremonies for all the pomp, colors, and costumes. Austin is a videographer and this may have been the one thing that could have deterred us from dinner. 

We dutifully, gleefully, and soberly followed the procession until seafood cravings emerged, then agreed to treat ourselves to an extravaganza at A Fonte do Vino, the only Michelin “Plate” rated seafood marisqueria in town. They score One Plate for their quality food and wine list.

It was time for more oysters, clams, scallops, and one last order of barnacles. We should have stopped there but challenged ourselves to push onward and try the bacalao (salt cod). Did we overindulge? Yes, and sadly the bacalao was not consumed. In the end, the barnacles were the “one plate” where we both met our eating match. 

A Fonte do Vino is also an oyster farm specializing in local seafood and it has a private wine label, Pepa a Loba, an excellent Albariño. Did we leave maybe a quarter bottle of that third Albariño unfinished? The embarrassing answer is yes. We had met our wine match too. 

Where to Eat and Drink in Cambados 

Eating seafood here is for all seasons and many reasons. Dine indoors during tempestuous times or on the street patios during those glorious spring and summer days. The ambience in Cambados is relaxed and inviting, not exclusive in any way. 

Go with almost any Albariño on the restaurant list based on your preferred price point. We visited each of these restaurants, more than once in some cases. I recommend them all. Many don’t have websites. Ask for directions. 

• Taberna da Calzada – outdoor waterfront seating with value-priced wines and tapas
• Restaurante Divinas Palabras – near Plaza de Fefiñans. Go for the razor clams, mussels, scallops and pulpo (octopus). Then go again.
• Pub a leria – Fun soccer pub away from the waterfront. Great for beers, inexpensive wines, and tapas. Find out when any local or national matches are on offer.
• Bar Laya – great for lunch on the plaza, across from the Cathedral. Try the pimiento de padron (roasted peppers), jamon y queso (ham & cheese platter), and empanadas casera (homemade empanadas, often with tuna or other fin fish)
• A Fonte do Viño – Daily lunch and dinner. This is the “One Plate” Michelin restaurant where I met my eating match. A Fonte is an oyster farm specializing in local seafood and has a private wine label Albariño worth trying.
• Granbazán Winery – you can easily spend a half day tasting followed by a relaxing lunch
• O Casal Restaurante – Try the empanadas of crab, barnacle and roast chestnut pate, pulpo a la gallega or feira, razor clams, and langostina gyoza.
• Quinta de San Amaro Restaurant — near Paco y Lola 

Will I eat with Austin Beeman again?

Absolutely. But this time I will insist on a firm dining plan, some measure of restraint, and a strict limit of only eight dishes and two bottles of wine per meal. 

Austin lives in Toledo, Ohio, and invited me to eat with him at The Earl Restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan, about a one-hour drive for him. Would Austin drive one hour to eat well and drink wine? Yes, he would. 

Would I join him? Yes, I might.

You might also enjoy reading: 

• A visit to Spain’s Rueda Wine Region, the land of Castles
• The tastes of Baja California Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe

Read more wine travel articles and Wine Character interviews by Carl Giavanti.