Don't be fooled: my decision to live near Rias Baixas was not only to obtain a sound education this…read moresummer, but to drink some of the world's best wine (and smuggle as much as possible home). My host family was not only kind enough to take me to Bodegas Terras Gauda, but to share with me a story of how their son got into trouble one summer and spent 15 days in the beating hot sun cutting grapes at this particular winery. Oh boy, do I wish I had photos of that! I can't relish in the misfortunes of others for too long because I need to do other important things, like drink and learn about wine. Due to the "special" relationship my host family has with the bodega, we were allowed to have a quick tour during off-hours. The winery itself is very close to the Río Miño and the terrain enjoys fairly mild temperatures, averaging around 15 degrees centigrade (59 degrees Fahrenheit) for the year, and oscillating patterns of rainfall. This makes for grapes that ripen with high sugar content and an acidity much lower than other wines from the Rias Baixas DO region. And after tasting a variety of wines (a blend of the three grapes of the Rias Baixas region, a pure Albariño, and the black label Albariño), I did notice how much smoother the wines were than other Rias Baixas DO wines I have had in the States. Of the three wines sampled, I preferred the blend because the wine was a bit heavier, had a much more pronounced aroma of apricot, and tasted more strongly of fruits. After tasting the wines, I knew that making a few purchases was compulsory. I received quite a bargain - a box of three wines was approximately 30 euro. Good luck trying to get one decent bottle of Albariño in the states for under $15. Speaking of luck, please wish me luck getting as much of this wine through US Customs as humanely possible.

I just finished up a blog post about how much I love the award winning wine from here:…read more http://london.blog.qype.com/2010/08/mums-the-word-on-galicia-but-%E2%80%A6/ Bodegas Boado Chaves is a family winery with ten hectares of Albariño vineyards in the hills outside the quaint town of Cambados. With a Non Multa, Sed Multum (not many but much) approach to business, the winery is a small producer of O Casal, an Albariño under the Rias Baixas Demonination of Origin. Honestly, I'm happy to plug this refreshingly light wine. The glassfuls of the 2009 vintage were the best vino I drank during the week. Unfortunately, O Casal isn't available in the UK (yet). But owner Jose Angel Boado Chaves is a super gracious dude who'd be happy to show folks around and a tasting tour at his 18th century manor house wouldn't be too shabby a way to spend a day. If you're heading to Galicia (which is certainly a good idea if you love white wine, seafood and stunning coastal scenery), then keep a lookout for O Casal. Or, better yet, get in touch with Jose and see if he'll show you around his place. http://www.boadochaves.es/

The setting, facilities, owner, staff, and wines are simply the best. A true findread more