This family makes most of their money as mejilloneros (Mussel farmers). As of 2010, when we purchased our first vintage from them, they had never labeled a bottle of their wine before. It had always been given away to their best mussel customers to use as ‘vino de la casa.’
Country
Galicia
Appellation(s)
RIAS BAIXAS—Val de Salnes
Producer
Jose Maria Dominguez
Farming
Organic Farming
Website
(Click on Wine for Tech Sheet)
Wine
Grapes
Albariño
Soil
Decomposed granite, clay, and clay on decomposed shale
Viticulture
Organic Farming. Hand-harvested vineyards of Albariño This is a coastal Atlantic climate, considerable wind, great humidity, and regular rain. The vines are traditionally trained high, approximately 2 meters above the soil using pergolas; this improves the airflow, allowing for the wind to blow through the vines and dry the grapes, which inhibits mildew and mold from taking hold.
Viniculture
Grapes are de-stemmed, crushed and pressed in a pneumatic press. The must is racked and fermented at 18 ° C for about 8 days. The wine is aged in a steel tank for 10 months.