Xurxo Alba inside a foudre during harvest in Rías Baixas

Xurxo Alba: El Capitán

Xurxo Alba quickly established himself as a rising star in Rías Baixas, working out of his family’s furancho-turned-winery Bodegas Almabar. Today, it’s safe to say that he stands among the region’s great growers and winemakers. From the home base in Rías Baixas, he’s gone on to create projects in Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras.

Luis Anxo Rodríguez Vázquez sitting at a table with bottles of Ribeiro wine

Luis Anxo Rodríguez: On Location in Ribeiro

I’m late to my interview with Luis Anxo.

I’ve been filming a video about the medieval terraces of Val do Avia with my friend Antonio Míguez Amil, and between having to take it easy on the gas pedal while driving up the serpentine roads that lead to Antonio’s vineyard, shooting the video, and catching up (I haven’t seen him for a year), we’re running late.

So I call him. “No problem! I’m at the optometrist!” he booms in rapid-fire Galician. “Come by when you’re done and we’ll go to the winery!”

On Location in Ribeiro with Antonio Míguez Amil

Antonio Míguez Amil probably knows more about Ribeiro than any person alive today. I call him the “wise man of Ribeiro” for his encyclopedic knowledge of the region’s history, terroir, and his dedication to recovering traditional vineyards and planting them with native grapes. He took me to one of the vineyards that he’s painstakingly recovering in San Lourenzo da Pena to talk about the history of Ribeiro and why these old vineyards are worth saving.