For the last few days our local seaside town of Cambados has been taken over by the 61st Albariño Festival, so much so that many roads in the town centre were actually closed to traffic. For four days the home of the albariño grape variety has played host to much merriment, but I’m afraid to say that the word ‘merriment’ might just be a euphemism for lots of serious drinking. 

Apart from visiting the tunnel of wine I actually made a point of avoiding the main part of the albariño festival, chosing to stay away. My worst fears were confirmed by speaking to people who did attend, not for the drinking I hasten to add, but simply to take their children to the fairground attractions. The stories that they told did not make good listening I’m afraid. Even by 8.30pm (which is very, very early evening for Spanish festivals) there were already many drunken people falling about in the street. The seafront was taken over by impromptu parties, with loud music, lots of bottles, and not just albariño.

At the tunnel tasting on the first day we had met some wine makers from Austria, who made the journey especially to familiarise themselves with our grape variety. They had been given to understand that the Festival would be an ideal opportunity to come and taste the wines (which in the case of the tunnel was no doubt true), but what they made of the rest of the celebration would be interesting to know. I’m sure that they probably didn’t expect the kind of ‘frivolities’ that they may have encountered, and I’m quite confident that the wine festivals in Austria would be somewhat more conservative!

I certainly commented last year, and possibly even the year before, that I’m really not too sure how healthy it is for the image of the albariño grape variety to be associated with heavy drinking in the streets. The original concept of the celebration is in real danger of becoming hijacked, and abused by the few who inevitably spoil it for the many….. Or it could just be that I’m becoming an old fuddy-duddy!

For the last few days our local seaside town of Cambados has been taken over by the 61st Albariño Festival, so much so that many roads in the town centre were actually closed to traffic. For four days the home of the albariño grape variety has played host to much merriment, but I’m afraid to say that the word ‘merriment’ might just be a euphemism for lots of serious drinking. 

Apart from visiting the tunnel of wine I actually made a point of avoiding the main part of the albariño festival, chosing to stay away. My worst fears were confirmed by speaking to people who did attend, not for the drinking I hasten to add, but simply to take their children to the fairground attractions. The stories that they told did not make good listening I’m afraid. Even by 8.30pm (which is very, very early evening for Spanish festivals) there were already many drunken people falling about in the street. The seafront was taken over by impromptu parties, with loud music, lots of bottles, and not just albariño.

At the tunnel tasting on the first day we had met some wine makers from Austria, who made the journey especially to familiarise themselves with our grape variety. They had been given to understand that the Festival would be an ideal opportunity to come and taste the wines (which in the case of the tunnel was no doubt true), but what they made of the rest of the celebration would be interesting to know. I’m sure that they probably didn’t expect the kind of ‘frivolities’ that they may have encountered, and I’m quite confident that the wine festivals in Austria would be somewhat more conservative!

I certainly commented last year, and possibly even the year before, that I’m really not too sure how healthy it is for the image of the albariño grape variety to be associated with heavy drinking in the streets. The original concept of the celebration is in real danger of becoming hijacked, and abused by the few who inevitably spoil it for the many….. Or it could just be that I’m becoming an old fuddy-duddy!