Zárate, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain

Eulogio Pomares is the grandson of Ernesto Zárate who, back in the 1920s, was one of the few wine growers who promoted and defended the Albariño grape variety which at the time was threatened with being replaced by higher yielding, more disease resistant varieties. Fast forward 100 years and Albariño is almost certainly Galicia's most famous grape but few do it as well as Eulogio. 

Eulogio studied in Bordeaux and Germany investigating parallels between Albariño and Riesling, his knowledge of the Albariño grape is second to none. Since he took over management of his family vineyards in 2000 in the Val do Salnes (Romans harvested salt in the region), he has focused on improving them. He started to work organically, abandoning mineral fertilisers. Instead he uses shells from the surrounding coastline (as in the photo) which provide the calcium and magnesium the vines need, and don’t get from the acidic, granitic, soils. He also uses local seaweed as compost. In the cellar he is low intervention and his wines are characterised by their Atlantic freshness and age-worthiness.

Producer - Zarate
Country - Spain
Region - Galicia
Appellation - Rías Baixas
Variety / Blend - Albariño
Wine Style - White Wine
Farming - Biodynamic principles
Vegan