Wine purists may argue that Martín Códax is a big Cooperative - ‘grapes in one end, bulk juice out the other’ - and you may be fooled into agreeing, given that they have access to 450ha  under vine (13% of the DO production) spread across 300 families of growers, but unless you’ve actually visited this exciting producer, you will never appreciate how far from reality this is. As our wonderful hostess Celina Rodriguez Bua so proudly pointed out ‘our growers don’t work for us, we work them.’

I would urge you to go to Martín Códax if you have never visited. What you will find is a producer with a real boutique vibe, talented wine makers and a charming team who are welcoming and incredibly generous with their hospitality and time, but most importantly immensely proud to be all things Galician – wine, food, history, culture and language – which are all reflected in the wines that they produce.

Rías Baixas (in particular Cambados) is beautiful, with 99% of wine production being Albariño, but there are no vast fields of vines as far as the eye can see. Instead it’s largely made up of small plots, including back gardens, front gardens, plots with challenging and sometimes unforgiving terrain that have been under the ownership of many of the same families for many, many years, a long time before the DO was established in 1986. Land in the region is very expensive and difficult to buy, so this puts into context why Martín Códax work with so many growers.

The Trip

Day 1

A bleary-eyed (4.30am meet at Stansted) but excited group of GMs from Barworks arrived in Spain and were whisked away for a cultural immersion in the old town of Santiago de Compostela with our charming tour guide Margarina. The city is a mecca for hordes of pilgrims from all over the world, all wearing down shoe leather to visit the resting place of Saint James, the breathtaking Cathedral. It’s stunningly beautiful and well conserved, as is all of the old town, and offers so much more than a religious day trip. A gastronomic paradise!

Starving and parched, we had lunch at the most unassuming little restaurant tucked away from the throng of back-packers in a little side street. What came out of the kitchen was simple but stunning Galician food which was a perfect match for the two wines we tasted. We were joined by Pablo Blanco, the Global Commercial Director, a real lover of gastronomy.

Mara Moura Godello 2021 – Trying Godello for most was a new experience which proved a winner - it over-delivers. It’s a sumptuous attack on your senses, from its heady balsamic nose through to its powerful and textured mouthwash.

Martín Códax Albariño 2023 – Their flagship wine and one they can be really proud of: a quintessential Albariño that shows a perfect balance of sugar and acidity.  

After lunch we headed to our sun-soaked beachfront hotel in Sanxenxo, where we had time to freshen up for a couple of hours, the braver among us going for a refreshing dip in the sea, before it was out again for dinner at a local restaurant in the port, where we were joined by the Export Manager Paula Lobato, a Spanish firecracker of fun and a wonderful host. Dinner was another fish overload, including amazing prawns, langoustine, cockles and pulpo. The wines were:

Martín Códax Albariño 2023 – Tasted every bit as good as it did at lunch.

Albariño Arousa 2021 – A wine that really splits opinion, it’s certainly Albariño on another level and tastes of exactly where the grapes are grown i.e. a vineyard that is practically in the sea, resulting in intense saline notes, balsamic and white pepper – long, powerful taste. I loved it, and it worked perfectly with the food.

Day 2

We were collected at a respectable time in the morning and taken to one of the vineyard plots that makes up Albariño Arousa in San Tombe, Cambados where we met one of the many great oenologists Martín Códax have and who work very closely with the growers. This was Barworks’ first hands-on and up-close experience of standing under a Parra canopy of vines, understanding the essential reasoning for this type of vine training due the high humidity in the region, and getting their hands dirty by pruning back some of the vine leaves to expose the precious grapes to a little bit more sun. It really is a different experience to standing in long rows of perfectly uniform vines; it’s rustic, charming and makes perfect sense.

We tasted the Albariño Arousa again; without food it was really quite different, almost like taking a gulp of water from the sea. Not surprising as we were practically standing in it! We then jumped back on the bus for a short hop to the hilltop winery with stunning views of historic vineyard plots all around, and of course the ocean, where we had a tour and tasting planned.

On arrival we were given a glass of Martín Códax Espumoso NV sparkling Albariño. Another first for most of the party, it’s a real crowd pleaser! Made using the traditional champenoise method and aged for 30 months, incredible value for money.

A quick tour, and then it was off to meet with Aranzazu Zulueta, the very talented young winemaker, who tasked with reshaping Albariño with very modern vinification. We had a private tasting of two wines in the experimental cellar (an Aladdin’s cave of winemaking toys):

Martín Códax Vindel 2021 – By a country mile the outstanding wine of the trip. It seduces you into thinking it’s an elegant red wine with its delicious cinnamon, spice and creamy caramel notes and then you are back in the room with lashings of aromatic apricot, grapefruit and zesty orange, POW!

Albariño Orange Wine 2022 – This is Aranzazu’s pet project but in true orange wine fashion it split the room, I personally think it’s well made and shows off her unquestionable talent.

We headed to the stunning terrace for a formal tasting with Aranzazu through the range, joined by Paula and of course Celina – (range and tasting notes attached)

At the end of the tasting we were given a new wine blind to taste and to gauge our thoughts.

Martín Códax Non-Alcohol Albariño – A brave attempt, and we applauded them for making the effort as it was certainly amongst the better non-alcs we have tried but it didn’t taste like Albariño, once you strip out all that loveliness, it’s very difficult to add it back in without using something that is far worse for you than alcohol – a work in progress.

For lunch we headed down to the port to go sailing on an old boat called “A Goleta” across A Ría de Arousa (including Paula, Aranz and Celina) – it was a baking hot day and the boat had real atmosphere, with music blaring out and the most sumptuous food being served from a tiny little kitchen. We sailed through the vast armada of mussel farms that produce what can certainly be argued as amongst the best mussels in the world, although rapid climate change is a real concern for the region, as changing water temperatures have affected the size and volume of production.

As we continued sailing, right on cue and to the sound of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck pumping out, we were joined by a large, majestic pod of dolphins who partied with us for a good 10 minutes. Wine and food were flowing and in addition to what we had already tried we tasted:

Mara Martín Godello 2023 – A wine to really get things going; everyone loved it, it over-delivers and is incredible value for money.

Alma Atlantica Sangria Rosé – The first Sangria from the Atlantic, and a bottle of fun and joy, perfect for the occasion.

As the sailing carried on, the lack of shade on the boat began to take its toll and so when the captain dropped the anchor in a beautiful little bay, it was everybody overboard – I don’t think anyone has ever enjoyed swimming in the sea as much as that day. As we returned to port the party atmosphere continued.

The rest of the evening was free.

Day 3

This would be a short day for all; we were picked up and taken along the coast to the village of Carril to a canning factory! When I say canning factory, it’s actually a boutique family-run quality seafood preservation business called Los Peperetes and it’s a humble little converted house sitting right on the edge of the estuary alongside the clam farm that was the original source of the family business. This is not just any old fish in a tin; this is top quality preserved seafood exported to Michelin Star restaurants all over the world. Everything is done by hand to perfection in a tiny little property.

Their success was just about manageable until 2020, when David Beckham took to Instagram to rave to his 71 million followers about his favourite fish, Los Peperetes sardinillas en aceite de oliva (sardines in olive oil). The impact was instant and they had to close down for a short period to cope with the overwhelming demand – who would have thought that fish in a tin could be so sexy? Believe me, it is!

Lunch was back in beautiful Cambados at another hidden away restaurant with a beautiful garden, where were joined by Jorge Bartolome (Director of Marketing) and Paula. It was another Galician food extravaganza, washed down with Martín Códax Albariño, Mara Moura Godello and chilled Cuatro Pasos Joven 2022.

Having stayed in the restaurant a little longer than we should have, it was a speedy dash back to the airport and Adios to Martín Códax and Rías Baixas.

Conclusion

The feedback from Barworks was amazing: the best visit they had ever done, a fantastic three days of education, fun, food and wine. “The itinerary was perfect,” said their Ops Director Tanja, “we were blown away by the welcoming warmth and passion of all the people we met. They were incredibly interested in our business, rather than just talking about theirs. There was a lot to cram in, but it always felt relaxed, never any pressure and never a feeling that all exits lead to the gift shop where you must buy! The visit opened our eyes to the diversity of the region and the versatility of Albariño, it’s not just a one-trick pony! The quality of all the wines we tried was fantastic and we were introduced to Godello and Mencía for the first time, what a discovery! – Can we come back?”

From an Enotria&Coe perspective, I echo what the people at Barworks say. Firstly the itinerary was perfect; it never felt like it had been cobbled together to fill time, everything made sense and connected and had purpose. In essence they had gift wrapped a bite sized journey through all things Galicia, which is ingrained in their DNA and reflected in their wines. I was also blown away by their warmth, passion and generosity, not only with their hospitality but also their valuable time.

Secondly they are an incredibly professional company but they are also very humble. I love their attitude toward preserving the culture, nature and the climate and their unwavering support of their ‘family’ of growers. They never gave me the impression they were perfect or special, but just really fortunate to be part of an amazing small area of the world at this time. They listen to feedback and take constructive criticism (not that there is much) and are willing to make changes and try new things if it is important to their customers.

I’ve been on many fantastic trips with lots of brilliant customers in my time, but visiting Martín Códax and the region is up there at the top. I wish I could go every month.

Rías Baixas is not just about Albariño, it’s a way of life!