Adega Algueira

Adega Algueira is a family-run winery in the Ribeira Sacra, in Doade, in the municipality of Sober, on the Lugo bank of the Sil canyon. Visits are by reservation every day except Wednesday, and alongside the winery it has its own boat on the canyon and a restaurant among the vines.

Who they are

The project began in 1979, when the first vineyard, Carballo Cobo, was planted. Since then the winery has been recovering abandoned terraces and almost lost vines on the slopes of the Sil, and later in the Abeleda area too. It works only with native varieties and grapes from its own vineyards: mencía, caíño, sousón, brancellao and merenzao for reds, and godello, treixadura, albariño and loureiro for whites. Some plots have slopes of up to 85 degrees; in Amandi the soil is slate and schist, and in Cortezada, quartz and gneiss. Its wines include Risco, from merenzao; Serradelo, from brancellao; Castagaia, from sousón; Amaral, from caíño; Escalada, a godello aged on its lees; and Cortezada, a white of godello, treixadura and albariño.

Tastings and visits

The wine tasting begins with a guided tour of the winery that tells its history and way of working, the care of vines on terraces and the winemaking, and ends with a guided tasting of some of its wines. You book online, choosing a date and time. The professional tasting is designed for people in the trade or advanced enthusiasts: it includes a visit to the terraces when conditions allow, technical explanations of viticulture and winemaking, and a minimum of six wines, among whites, young reds, aged reds and minority varieties. You request it by email at [email protected], and it is adapted to the group.

The boat on the canyon

The winery has its own boat, the Brandán II, with guided trips of an hour and a half on the Sil between vineyard slopes. The guide explains the history of the Ribeira Sacra, its winemaking tradition and how vines are worked on steep slopes. You book online, and it can be combined with the tasting and with lunch in wine-tourism packages. The Monforte tourist guide places the departure at the Abeleda pier. The website does not publish prices, times, season or capacity for the boat: you see them in the booking system when you choose a date.

O Castelo restaurant

Next to the winery, surrounded by vines and with views over the valley, the O Castelo restaurant serves traditional Galician cooking with local produce and vegetables from its own garden, designed to go with its wines. The menu includes caldo gallego, mushroom croquettes, Lourenzá beans with octopus and prawns, monkfish cheeks with clams, veal shank in mencía, or roast kid from O Courel, with desserts such as filloas with cream. There is a children's menu for ages 2 to 12 at €25 and a wine-paired tasting menu at €49 per person. It is open from 13:00 to 15:30 and closes on Wednesdays. Book online, by email or on 982 410 299.

The website does not say which languages the visits are in, nor the cancellation terms for the activities; it is worth asking when you book.