If only they made playgrounds for adults. Such places would be filled with the things that grownups like best of all like wine and delicious, restaurant quality food. Well, such things exist – wineries. It’s even possible to visit the place where heavenly Albariño comes from, and if you’ve ever tried Martin Codax Albariño, you’ll be planning your next holiday around a trip to their vineyards this year. If you like Rias Baixas wine, you’ll just love where they make it.
Martin Codax Albariño is a Postcard from Galicia in a Glass
At the moment, we’ve got two really great wines from the winery. Both of them use 100% Albariño grapes, which create light wines with a peachy flavour. The wine can be a tad acidic. But that’s a good thing – you now have an excuse to eat lots of gorgeous oily/fatty foods that will match it perfectly like pâté, or fried seabass. These bottles are:
- Martín Códax. In 2017, this wine scored 88 Peñín points. To get such a score from the internationally acclaimed wine critic, it has to be seriously good wine, and the tasting notes are particularly impressive. Expect the peachy flavours characteristic of the grape. Yet also it has lovely lemony notes, as well as an inviting nose of mimosa, apple, jasmine, orange and grapefruit. That’s one heck of a glassful. Try to get a young example of the wine which will still have a slight spritz, which is excellent for seafood.
- Marieta. They’ve produced this bottle with a groovy label, which could be quite fun to look at on a dinner table. Yet when you’re done staring at it, you might well want to drink it. Again, Peñín scored it highly – giving it 87 points. But it’s about a third cheaper than the other bottle – not a bad table wine to have for everyday drinking.
Plan the Perfect Vineyard Tour
Handily, the winery has a list of its opening times. That’s quite important as you don’t want to travel half way across Europe only to turn up on a day when the place is closed. Visiting at different times of year will have its benefits:
- Spring is when the days lengthen out again and there’s more time for tastings or tours. As it’s before the season’s peak, the place won’t be so crowded
- Summer in Spain is of course divine. Galicia is a slightly more temperate area of the country too which makes it ideal for holidaymakers who don’t like excessive heat. If you do, the rest of Spain is just a short drive away. Also June is when vines come into flower, and have you ever seen field after field of vines in bloom? It’s truly beautiful.
- Autumn is when grapes are harvested in Europe. Specifically, Martin Códax does this in September, and you can see below for a really good wine tour to take at this time.
- Winter is when the hotels should be at their cheapest. What’s more, Rias Baixas is a cosy 10? at its coldest – which makes it a great location for a Christmas break.
What’s on Offer
- The Martín Códax Tour. On this tour, they’ll explain how they make Albariño, which you also get to taste.
- Martín Códax Lías Tour. This is double the length of the previous tour, and you can taste their Lías wine too.
- Martín Códax ‘Troubadour Tour’. Not only do you get to taste three wines, but the tour makes reference to Martín Códax, the medieval poet after whom the winery is named. Very cultural.
- Martín Códax Selección Tour. There’s four wines to taste here.
- Torre Quintáns Tour. Not only do you get to try three of their best wines, but the winery tour opens out into their vineyards as well.
- Martín Códax Premium. There’s more wine to try on this tour, and you’ll visit their more prestigious parcel of land, Pe Redondo.
- Special Wine Tourism Packs. This is a more in depth option. You’ll even learn how to shellfish, as well as get a real sense for how the Atlantic coast affects these wines. It’s delivered on a cruising boat as well!
Tastings
What’s more there, there are three special tastings to try out:
- “Blessed by the Aging”. Here, you’ll appreciate how oaking affects Albariño;
- “Forever Young”. These wines typify what’s best about Rias Baixas – very drinkable, fresh, fruity wine;
- “Alma Atlántica”. In this session, you’ll get more of an appreciation for how the area’s climate and soil creates a terrific terroir.
Join in the Harvest
You can even take part in harvesting the grapes! Of course, this can only take place in September, but in a way, that makes the experience more special. Think of it as a fun way to end the summer, while you learn about wine.
