Adega Saíñas

Behind the striking labels of the Adega Saíñas winery we find two former electrical engineers, Jorge and Saleta, who left their well-travelled lives of science behind them and returned to their native land to continue a family project in the Ribeira Sacra. The name of the company comes from an old vineyard, on the banks of the Cabe River, that the family completely restored; As Saíñas.

Saíñas is a true family business. Work in this vineyard was started in 1992 by Javier Fernández, Saleta’s father. He grew up surrounded by vineyards and had a passion for wine. He was also a convinced representative of his region. That is partly why he began to reclaim abandoned vineyards on the slopes of the Cabe River at the end of the last century, convinced of the great potential of these terroirs. These vineyards are spread throughout the village of Espasantes, divided into small plots with limited production. All with different orientations and altitudes. Some of these vineyards are located on the characteristic slopes of the Ribeira Sacra, planted on “socalcos” or terraces. This terrain is typical of this area due to its steep slopes and limited accessibility, which makes the cultivation and maintenance of the vineyards challenging.

Jorge and Saleta manage the entire process from start to finish, closely supervised by none other than Luis Seabra, a highly respected winemaker in the region for many years. Jorge; “We only use our own sustainably grown grapes, which are carefully picked by hand. All work in the vineyard is done manually. We use agricultural practices that minimize the negative impact on the environment by completely eliminating the use of herbicides and pesticides,” says Jorge. This has significantly improved the biodiversity of the soils in the vineyards and their surroundings in recent years. “With these sustainable practices, we focus not only on producing high-quality grapes for wine production, but also on the long-term care and conservation of the natural and human resources involved in the process.”

In the winery, the grapes are selected and fermented in small tanks, without added yeast. Each plot is processed separately, adapted to the uniqueness and typicality of each harvest. Then it goes to aging tanks made of concrete, stainless steel or used French oak barrels. The result is wines that are true to their own principles, where the identity of the terroir is expressed in a unique way. “Today we can proudly say that we have in our hands a legacy full of hope, full of passion, but also full of responsibility. The responsibility to fight day after day to continue defending the vision of all those who have shaped this dream and are part of this dream that is now a reality: Saíñas”.