The origin of the Albariño Festival dates back to 1953, when two wine producers from the town of Cambados, Bernardino Quintanilla and Ernesto Zarate, decided to hold a dinner party on August 28 to mark the patron saint’s day of Cambados, the Virgin Shepherdess. In this event, the Albariño wine was the true protagonist.
This first event was attended by around fifty diners; such was its popularity, a decision was made to make this initiative an annual occasion, becoming bigger and more famous over the years, leading to the version that we have today.
This is Galicia’s oldest wine festival and the second oldest in all of Spain. Long-considered one of the Fiestas of National Tourist Interest of Spain, it was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest of Spain in 2018.
During these festivals, the best wine is selected from the hundreds of different bodegas that participate in the tasting events.
2019 marks the 67th Albariño Fiesta (Festa do Albariño, in Galician), with the promotional poster selected from 45 different entries from all across Spain.
Around 150,000 different people come together each year to enjoy a series of musical performances, exhibitions, sporting competitions and wine-making workshops…
In addition to this are the official ceremonies, including the ‘Ladies and Gentlemen of Honour of the Serene Chapter of Albariño’ procession: a solemn event in which ‘Ladies and Gentlemen of Honour’ are named for the fiestas, which aim to “spread and promote the virtues of the golden prince of wine, wherever they go”.
A key role is also played by the peñas (clubs). This started to become popular in the early 1980s, bringing atmosphere and colour to the fiestas. The members of each peña wear themed t-shirts, each bearing a slogan and a particular graphical representation. In recent editions, this tradition has led to awards being given to the most original designs.
Food festival
Above all else, this is a festival for the pallet. As such, you’ve got to enjoy it! As we mentioned above, the leading role is played by albariño: a wine that should be enjoyed by sipping slowly, on a full stomach. Attendees are reminded that mixing it with other alcoholic drinks can result in a particularly nasty hangover.
Schedule of concerts 2019
Wednesday, July 31 – Concert of the group Treixadura
Thursday, August 1– Concert of the singer Cristina Rosevinge and Chilean singer-songwriter Javiera Mena
Friday, August 2 – Concert of Luz Casal
Sunday, August 3– Concert of the Banda de Castrelo orchestra
Other Galician festivals
The Festa Do Albariño is one of Galicia’s biggest events this summer. The ‘Atlantic Fest’ is being held between today and July 28 in Illa de Arousa, headlined this year by Love of Lesbian, Los Planetas and Nacho Vega. Besides the concerts, there is a wide variety of activities and food outlets.
The Son Rías Baixas festival is set to be held from August 1-3 in Bueu, mixing various musical genres such as rock, reggae and ska. This year’s headliners include La Pegatina and Zoo.
