Mar de Frades

Mar de Frades was established in 1987 by Eladio Piñeiro, just a year before DO Rías Baixas was officially recognized. The winery’s name means "sea of the friars" and refers to a spot in the Ría de Arousa near the mouth of the Umia River where pilgrims once landed to continue their journey to Santiago de Compostela on foot. In 2002, Mar de Frades was acquired by the Zamora Company, the group behind Ramón Bilbao (DOCa Rioja) and brands like Licor 43. Under the Zamora Company’s ownership, the winery made new investments in technology and brought on winemaker Paula Fandiño in 2007. In 2012, Mar de Frades launched the first widely distributed sparkling Albariño made using the Traditional Method.

The Wines

Mar de Frades: 100% Albariño, fermented in stainless steel and aged on its lees for 3 months.

Mar de Frades Brut Nature: 100% Albariño from the Finca Ribadulla vineyard in the Ribera del Ulla subzone. Made using the Traditional Method with 18 months of lees aging.

Finca Valiñas: 100% Albariño from 45 year-old vines in the Finca Valiñas vineyard in San Martiño de Meis. Fermented in stainless steel with 3 years of lees aging and bâtonnage, plus 1 year in the bottle.