Sense of Place: Val do Salnés, Rías Baixas

Rías Baixas has done an incredibly good job of portraying its lush vineyards and granite soils as ground zero for singular, refreshing Spanish white wines of place. It's been helped a lot in this regard by the fact that its pin-up grape, Albariño, is a charmingly vivacious variety with an ability to transmit these soils in pure wines of salty minerality and electric acidity. They are wines that drink well young with the delicious local seafood, but go beyond this with versatility at the table and the ability to age with grace.
Diego Ríos, recently crowned Rías Baixas Young Winemaker of the Year in Tim Atkin MW's latest report, calls the shots at the prestigious Granbazán estate, just outside the gorgeous fishing town of Cambados on the Galician coast. I first met Diego when he was vineyard manager at Heymann-Löwenstein in Germany's Terrassenmosel. There's an awful lot I love about those high-acid, slate-grown terroir Rieslings - and plenty, no doubt, that Diego brings with him to this picturesque corner of Spain. It was a pleasure to catch up with Diego during my recent trip to Galicia. Here, he shares his thoughts on what makes Albariño, Rías Baixas and, specifically, the Val do Salnés subregion so special.