Until fairly recently we actually used to participate in this ourselves, renting a stand, and selling by the glass or bottle to any visitor who cared to taste our wine. Over the years however, it became clear that we were doing the lion’s share of our business during the night, and we found ourselves shutting up shop at 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning! Of course we could have closed much earlier (at our own discretion), but always had to consider covering the overheads of renting and staffing our stand.

Eventually we decided that any ‘marketing’ benefit was far outweighed by the amount of effort and minimal return each year, and we therefore decided to pull out.

If I am being very honest, we have not missed attending, and we have certainly not missed the smells of old fish and/or garbage that have recently started to permeate the site for the duration of the festival. (Hardly conducive to serious wine appreciation, it has to be said). This was not because the rubbish was left to pile up, it was simply that it somehow left behind a rather unsavoury stench once it was cleared. This probably had more to do with the large amount of seafood that is served from makeshift tents over the 5 day period.

(Hmmm, I am conscious that I am not painting a very favourable picture here, but to be truthful I would not recommend this festival to anyone wishing to attend a serious tasting).

Anyway, rightly or wrongly, we do not join in, and instead we find time to enjoy a refreshing glass of Albariño in the comfort of our own home, rather than amongst the partying hordes of Cambados.