Restless and always eager to learn, Xurxo Alba is the public face of Albamar, a winery in Cambados, in the Salnés Valley. Both the facilities and the vineyards they work — owned and leased — are located a short distance from the Atlantic, a fact that is reflected in the winery’s philosophy and in the wines they produce in this area near the mouth of the River Umia, a protected zone with a large influx of birds in the heart of Rías Baixas.

When Xurxo was a child, it was his father, Luis, who planted almost all of their own Albariño vineyards. After losing his job as a bricklayer, Luis devoted his efforts to making a simple wine, which he sold in bulk and without a label at the family furancho.

Xurxo’s return home in 2006, after studying viticulture and working as a consultant, transformed the philosophy of the family business, which was renamed Albamar. That was also the name of his first wine, a single-varietal Albariño — fresh and vibrant — which remains the winery’s flagship today.

Little by little, Xurxo moved toward a style of viticulture and winemaking that is as minimally interventionist as possible. Today, he produces many cult wines: Alma de Mar, Finca O Pereiro, Pepe Luis, Albino, O Sebal, Sesenta e Nove Arrobas…

(adapted from the fantastic Spanish Wine Lover by the great Amaya Cervera and Yolanda Ortiz de Arri)