Katia Álvarez, Martín Códax

How was the 2022 harvest for you in Rías Baixas?

It was marked by a very warm summer, and it lasted the whole ripening period. It has favoured a riper, aromatic style with a lot of fruit – apple, pear, peach, and some floral components as well –and a very well-balanced palate that will be both ripe and fresh.

How much vintage variation do you get across the region?

The 2022 harvest has been good in terms of both quality and quantity, even if slightly smaller than the 2021 one.

We are in a delimited area with a huge influence from the Atlantic Ocean, creating big differences from one year to another. If we compare 2021 to 2022, for example, the differences are huge. The 2021 harvest started later and it was one of the coolest years in the last 15 years, whereas the 2022 was ripe and started earlier. These differences make our work far more interesting, because we have to interpret those conditions very carefully.

How does Rías Baixas sustain its pre-eminence with Albariño?

After many years of hard work from the DO Rías Baixas and the wineries who belong to it, Albariño is finally getting the international recognition it deserves. But we have to keep working really hard to maintain the positioning we are gaining as well as keep showing that Rías Baixas Albariño is much more than just a fresh and young white wine.

We have a grape that is already showing the amazing potential it has to create grand whites which are being recognised internationally among other very prestigious wine regions.

Are you still innovating and experimenting?

We are always learning and researching with Albariño. We have selected a plot with clay soils and then fermented it in ceramic barrels, which was something we had never done before. It is a very unusual practice in Rías Baixas, and we are seeing it is developing a new expression of Albariño, with a much more mature profile: very floral, lavish, and dense.

Tell us a little bit about your projects in Monterrei and Bierzo. We work with other indigenous varieties from the north west of Spain that also have great potential. We have experience in Atlantic-influenced viticulture and in a winemaking style that highlights the fruit’s primary character, and we are applying it in these regions. Mencía Rosé has been a huge discovery; it has pleasantly surprised both locals and outsiders.

We know that your wines are classic matches for seafood. But are there less obvious matches that you’ve discovered?

Albariño is a very gastronomic variety and, thanks to its clean acidity and freshness, it often acts as a palate cleanser that allows you to enjoy very intense flavours as well. I love having Albariño paired with spicy foods. I often have it with Indian food, spicy Mexican dishes, sushi, ceviches … you name it, I’ve had it!