Pazo de Barrantes

This pazo or traditional manor house dates from the 16th century and was restored in the same century. Coats of arms on the walls tell the story of the house. The entrance gates are battled and emblazoned, and inside there is a large yard, surrounded by an auditorium, a chapel, the pazo, a garden, a dovecote and an hórreo (traditional raised granary) from left to right. The hórreo separates the yard from the farmland. The facade of the house is simple, with a semicircular door topped by a small oculus and a coat of arms. This manor house has been intimately linked to the history of Galicia for centuries. When Julia Becerra Malvar, eighth countess of Creixell, was the owner in 1930, the Councils of Ministers met in this house and signed the first Galician Autonomy Pact, known as the Pact of Barrantes. She was so renowned that during this time the pazo was known as Pazo de la Condesa, i.e., the Countess Manor House. His grandson Vicente Cebrián Sagarriga, tenth count of Creixell, inherited the house and restored it in such a way that he received the Marquis de Amodio Price, an European award granted for the restoration of old European palaces to owners under 35. After being introduced to the world of wine through a project in a Riojan winery, he decided to start a similar endeavour in Galicia and use the natural resources around the pazo, including the twelve hectares of vineyards, for Albariño wine. He created a winery with limited production and the best technology in mind. Further investing was an example of foresight of one of the most renowned wineries in Galicia. It is now under the direction of his son, Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, current count of Creixell, who is devoted to further developing the project started by his father. Pazo Barrantes has consolidated its position as one of the best Albariños in Spain and is now conquering new continents and introducing the incomparable virtues of this variety of Galician grapes to the world.