Its history goes back to 1953, year in which in the middle of a meeting of friends it is decided to organize for the first time a competition between winemakers coinciding with the patron saint’s celebration. They agreed that each harvester had to present his wine and then choose the best of them all. In this first edition took part a half hundred of diners and nine winemakers, and from there the party has been growing and, today, there are thousands of participants in this event, surpassing, in the last years, the 200.000. In addition, in this party are concentrated large numbers of tourists who carry Cambados attracted by the fame of their wines and the tradition of their festivities, the oldest in Galicia in the wine field.

One of its best known traditions is the appointment of the Ladies and Knights of Honor of the Serenisimo Chapter of Albariño. They are also a tradition the “peñas”: groups of young people from Cambados who participate in the organization of the party and, dressed in identification shirts and a glass always ready for the next wine, encourage attendees through streets and bars.

Another curiosity: during the event around 100.000 bottles of Albariño wine are distributed, or what is the same, 75.000 liters of this drink whose fame goes beyond our land.

During all these years, artists of great musical relevance have acted in the Festival of the Albariño and, in each edition, they surpass a little more, adding to the dozens of activities that delight the attendees.

In sum, who attends this event will leave with the feeling of having shared the love and enormous passion that each of the winemakers has put in the making one of the best wines in the world, and will have enjoyed an atmosphere that will make them wish that the edition of the following year will arrive soon.

COOKING FESTIVALS

“Christian cooking in the west has no larder  as great as that offered by Galicia”

ÁLVARO CUNQUEIRO

Cooking is one of Galicia’s main tourist resources: the quality and variety of its local products are the foundation for the diversity of dishes that are prepared, and products served. These products, from the country, from livestock and, above all, from the sea, have their own peculiarities, and although nowadays they can be found outside Galicia, local quality is still the main feature of Gallego cooking. What is more, it should not be forgotten that one of the most prestigious elements of our cuisine has been the professionalism of our chefs, who work not only in Galicia, but can be found anywhere around the world.

Exaltations of cooking arouse the interest of whoever visits them. The origin of these fiestas is in local or district celebrations to commemorate the place’s traditions, friends’ meetings, or harvest or religious festivals, such as the pilgrimages, when fulfilling the promise to the Saint was completed with a traditional meal. On gaining renown, the fiesta attracted people from other places. Other exaltations of cooking sprang up with the tourist industry already in mind. In total, they number around 300 all over Galicia every year: on the coast, fish and shellfish are the most common; inland, the basis is meat and freshwater fish.

MAIN COOKING FESTIVALS