Mar de Santiago features numerous options…. including recommendations for wine lovers. If you’ve completed the Camino and feel like ending your trip on a different note, or if you just want to enjoy a break, we invite you to experience our destination’s wine tourism.
Autumn is the ideal time for tasting the nuances of wine tourism in Mar de Santiago. Our region features three wineries –located in Vilanova de Arousa– whose doors are open to the public. There you can discover how the wines under the “Rías Baixas” Designation of Origin are made. Furthermore, now is a great time since grape harvesting in well underway.
You’ll discover the characteristic trained vines of the “Rías Baixas” Designation of Origin and see the meticulous work that goes into collecting the grapes. Everything is done by hand and the grapes are collected in boxes with a maximum of 15 kilos, so as to take the greatest care of this produce. These are used to make renowned wines characterised by the presence of the Albariño grape variety in most cases.
The original stage of the wine-making process consists of gathering the grapes, taking them to the winery, destemming and pressing them. You’ll come across this particularity all over our region.
The wineries in our region (Pazo Baión, Bodegas Granbazán and Gran Vinum) form part of the “Rías Baixas” Wine Route. It is a non-profit association that encompasses around a hundred different types of establishments and entities, whose main goal is promoting the area’s food and wine potential.
A feature shared by all its 50 wineries is the fact that they can be visited. Apart from enjoying a guided tour of their installations, you can also taste the wines made by these wine-producing companies. In some cases, other options are available, such as theme tours, lunches or live music.
You can also make the most of the first weekend in October, when the 10th Open Doors of the “Ríais Baixas” Wine Tour will be held. This is an ideal occasion for experiencing the area’s food and wine tourism, and combining it with other options available in the municipalities of Mar de Santiago.
A unique opportunity for enjoying an eventful break in our region!
The importance of distilled spirits
Wine tourism also includes the world of distilled spirits. Precisely in one of the aforementioned wineries you’ll be able to discover how eau-de-vies and liqueurs are made. The most common distillation system in the region features the use of stills, which is one of the most traditional and deeply rooted practices throughout Galicia.
In this regard, the municipality of Valga stands out due to an event promoting this product: the Eel and Local Eau-de-Vie Festival. This is held at the end of August and highlights the quality of these two characteristics products. The doors of the Local Eua-de-Vie Interpretation Centre are open during these days to show how eau-de-vie is made and to hold the traditional tasting of distilled spirits.
Supplement your break in Mar de Santiago
Apart from discovering the work carried out in the vineyards and wineries, you can supplement your autumn break in Mar de Santiago with other options. We recommend that you enjoy a historical and cultural tour by visiting Catoira’s “Torres de Oeste” Cultural Activation Centre (CACTO). And if you want to enjoy the scenery, visit the “Torres de Oeste” fort itself and its beautiful surroundings, as well as the Viking longships.
Another natural beauty spot is Mina Mercedes, in Valga. This extensive area features natural surroundings where you can enjoy a pleasant stroll.
Discover the world’s only maritime Way of the Cross
Nearby, you can also enjoy the Ulla River where its flows through Pontecesures. You can round off your visit by discovering the tradition of the fishermen, or “baleiros,” who catch lamprey in the Ulla River. You can find out more by visiting Pontecesures’ “Plaza de Abastos” (food market” and, above all, the “Casa da Lamprea” (Lamprey House).
And if you feel like discovering something unique in the world, we invite you to book a seat on one of the boats that sail from this point as far as Vilanova (or vice versa) to discover Mar de Santiago’s maritime Way of the Cross. You’ll thereby be able to follow the itinerary followed to bring the Apostle James’ body to Galicia. A sail that is well worth it and that enables you to experience the Camino from a different perspective.
What are you waiting for to enjoy Mar de Santiago’s wine tourism? Discover our region’s Atlantic essence!