José Chaves Chaves founded the Chaves winery in 1955 in the Val do Salnes outside the village of Ribadumia.  I​n the 1980s, José Chaves' son Cándido, played a key role in the creation of the Denominación de Origen Rías Baixas in 1988, making Bodega Chaves the 2nd registered bodega. ​​​

​

Bodega Chaves remains a family adega, rooted in the Val do Salnes, and the Albariño varietal.

​

The vineyards are located between the villages of Cambados, Ribadumia and Meis, in the province of Pontevedra, just above sea level and planted on granite soils. These orographic characteristics give the wines a complex structure and minerality, with an extraordinary aromatic range. They are called wines of "Atlantic Freshness" because of the Albariño's crisp, fresh taste, but also due to the influence of the sea breezes throughout the production process.

 

Castel de Fornos is the name of the first vineyard and first wine made at the winery.

​

Their vineyards such as Modia, Xesteria and Fornos are old vine sites, although not connected physically, are close to their Ribadumia base.  All 100% estate, which allows total control over production.

​

Chaves belive that they should "listen to the land and only act when it is necessary", and they have reduced any intervention to the absolute minimum.​​​

​