Lagar de Costa

Lagar de Costa is a family-run estate located in the Val do Salnés subzone of Rías Baixas. The winery is currently managed by Sonia Costa, who serves as head winemaker, and her brother Manuel. While the family has been involved in viticulture for four generations, the commercial winery was established in 2001 when the siblings produced their first official vintage under the family name. The history of the estate began with Sonia's great-grandfather, who planted the original vines around the start of the Spanish Civil War for personal consumption. During the 1950s, the family expanded their vineyard holdings and shifted their focus toward professional grape cultivation as the regional reputation of the Albariño variety began to grow.

The estate vineyards are situated in the parish of Castrelo, near Cambados, and are characterized by their extreme proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Some vineyard parcels sit at sea level, separated from the Ría de Arousa estuary by only a few meters of shoreline. The terroir consists primarily of sandy loam soils over a granite base, providing necessary drainage in a region known for high annual rainfall and persistent humidity. To manage the maritime climate, the winery employs the traditional pergola training system, which uses granite pillars to elevate the vine canopy and encourage air circulation. Winemaking techniques at the estate include fermentation in stainless steel tanks, extended aging on fine lees, and the use of concrete eggs or French oak barriques for specialized cuvées.

The flagship wine of the producer is the Lagar de Costa Albariño, which is aged on its lees for several months to maintain freshness and saline character. They also produce Maio, a cuvée sourced from the oldest estate vines, some of which are over 50 years old, and Calabobos, which undergoes aging in concrete eggs. In addition to their white wines, the family produces a rare red wine called Viva la Vid made from the indigenous Espadeiro grape, a variety once nearly extinct in the region. The winery has earned a place in the local wine community for its coastal style, which emphasizes the mineral and saline qualities derived from the ocean breezes that reach the vines.