In the ‘70s, when Rías Baixas producers were pulling up their red grape vines to make room for the more fashionable Albariño, the Méndez family were doing the opposite. They doubled down on planting traditional Galician varieties like Caiño, Espadiero and Loureiro Tinto to try and preserve the heritage of the area. Forjas del Salnes began in in a garage in 2005 and comprises just 7.5 hectares of vines, in the villages of Meaño, Sanxenxo and Barro. Their elegant, ethereal reds are a delicious anomaly in a landscape dominated by white wine.