Astrid is produced by Adegas Gran Vinum. This family owned winery is situated in the Val do Salnés subregion, the original and oldest subzone of Albariño. The winery and its vineyards are located on a picturesque peninsula that juts out from Spain’s Atlantic coast, bordered by the Umia River to the north, and the Ría de Arosa estuary to the south. This is the most distinctive location within the subzone as it essentially starts here and flows inland to the west and up the coast of the Umia. With water on all sides, the vineyards benefit from maritime breezes that lower temperatures in the summer and raise them in the winter. These are relatively damp conditions for viticulture, and to keep mold away, the vines are trained on permanent granite pergolas. These keep the vines high off the ground, maximize air circulation, and promote sun exposure. The soil is composed of granite and sand. The vineyards are fertilized traditionally with clam and cockle shells. Vines average around 40 years old and are pruned and cared for on a regular basis. Some vines are over 100 years old. Several different clones of Albariño are grown here, and they are all vinified in separate lots. Grapes are hand harvested into small boxes and carefully sorted. A soft pressing takes place before filtering for 24 to 36 hours, followed by cold fermentation by native yeasts at 46°F to retain fresh fruit flavors. Depending on acidity levels, some lots go through malolactic fermentation, while others don’t. The lots are finally blended to a achieve a perfectly balanced Albariño.
Adegas Gran Vinum was founded in 2002 by the Piñeiro Cores family, who have been grape farmers in Rías Baixas (pronounced ree-ahs BI-shus) for generations. The family owns and farms eight acres of vines and works with 30 small growers. The head winemaker is Enrique Piñeiro. He and his daughter Andrea manage the family’s vineyards and produce the wines.
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