Tasting at Adega Algueira, a family winery in Doade

Algueira is a family winery on the Francos road, in Doade (Sober), with terraced vineyards above the Sil. The visit tours the winery, explains how a slope where almost everything is done by hand is worked and ends with a guided tasting of its wines. It is the place to do a full day in one spot: tasting, boat through the canyon and lunch at its restaurant, O Castelo.

What you see and taste

The standard tasting includes the guided visit to the facilities, the history and philosophy of the house, an introduction to work in the vineyard and winemaking, and the commented tasting of a selection of its wines. The winery works only with its own grapes and native varieties: in white, godello, treixadura, albariño and loureiro; in red, mencía, caíño, sousón, brancellao and merenzao. It has vineyards in two different areas: Amandi, with very sunny slopes and slate and schist soils where the mencía goes, and Cortezada, with quartz and gneiss, for the whites. Some plots, they say, have slopes of up to 85 degrees beside the river.

Its range has a dozen wines, from the young and fresh to those with more structure; among them are the Mencía Joven, Pizarra, Carravel, Risco, Serradelo, Fincas, Brandán, Cornamús, Cortezada and Escalada. Which are opened at each tasting depends on the day.

For professionals and advanced enthusiasts there is a professional tasting on request: a visit to the winery and terraces (subject to conditions and availability), a technical talk on Ribeira Sacra viticulture and a minimum of six wines among whites, young reds, aged wines and native varieties. Request it by email at [email protected].

Booking, hours and price

By booking only, through the calendar on its website or on 982 410 299 (the Monforte tourist office also gives 698 171 168). Open every day except Wednesday. The winery does not publish the price of the tasting on its website; it is shown when you choose a date in the booking system or you can ask by phone.

Boat and lunch on the same day

The house boat, the Brandán II, leaves from the A Abeleda jetty and makes a trip of an hour and a half through the Sil canyon, among terraced vineyards; it is also booked on its website, subject to availability. If you prefer the catamaran, see the catamaran from A Abeleda.

The restaurant O Castelo, next to the winery, is open from 13:00 to 15:30 every day except Wednesday, with Galician cooking designed to go with its wines. On visit days it offers a closed wine-tourism menu at €49 per person, with pairing; the children's menu, ages 2 to 12, costs €25. It is paid at the restaurant.

Getting there and what to combine

Doade is on the Lugo bank of the Sil, in the municipality of Sober. In Doade itself is another winery you can visit, Regina Viarum. If you are driving, spread out the tastings or let someone else drive: the canyon roads are narrow and winding. To sleep nearby, the Casa Grande de Rosende is in the same municipality.