Tasting at the Palacio de Fefiñanes winery

The Fefiñanes palace closes one side of the large square of the same name, in the centre of Cambados, and is a Site of Cultural Interest in the monument category. Inside is one of the historic albariño wineries: according to Turismo de Galicia, it has operated since 1904 and is the oldest in the town. The visit shows the palace and the winery and ends with a tasting of its wines.

The palace and its wine

The 16th-century ensemble around the square brings together the pazo with its round balconies at both ends, the church of San Benito, a keep and a Baroque arch-bridge. In the courtyard you can see the coats of arms of the viscounty of Fefiñanes and the marquisate of Figueroa. The first viscount was born in 1583 and was the one who finished the palace as it is seen today.

The winery works with a small vineyard of centuries-old vines, of around a hectare, inside the walls of the estate, trained high on pergolas to protect it from damp, and with grapes from a handful of small growers in Cambados. Its flagship wine is the Albariño de Fefiñanes, whose label was designed in 1928 by the Compostela jeweller and jet craftsman Enrique Mayer and which won a prize at the Barcelona International Fair of 1929-30. It also makes the 1583, fermented in French oak barrels; the III Año, with long ageing on lees, intended for keeping; and the Armas de Lanzós, with oxidative ageing in 500-litre barrels. It also makes orujo.

How to book

Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, always with advance booking at [email protected] or on 986 542 204. It is at Plaza de Fefiñanes, no number. The winery does not publish on its website the price of the visit or which wines are in the tasting: ask when you book. Turismo de Galicia reckons an hour or a little more for the visit with guided tasting. It is closed on Sunday, and the town's other big winery, Martín Códax, also schedules no visits that day: if you only have Sunday, see the palace from outside and leave the tasting for another trip.

Being right in the centre, it is the winery that combines best without a car: you leave the tasting and start the walk through the old town, which begins in this same square. For a special meal, Yayo Daporta, with a Michelin star, and for sleeping without driving after tasting, the Parador, on the seafront promenade.