The 1st of August is Albariño Day! Yes, another wine grape day that serves as a fantastic excuse to take a deep dive into a particular wine style. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could LITERALLY do that? Today’s tasting aim is to show that this classy, citrussy, peachy, white Spanish grape is no one trick pony. Experimentation is happening all over the region of Rias Baixas in Galicia, northwestern Spain (where this grape is the queen), which means that we have several styles to choose from these days. Some are zesty and refreshing, perfect alone. Others have a creamy weight thanks to extended ageing on the lees (dead yeast cells left after fermentation) and there is more and more oak ageing happening too that increases texture and body and in some cases, adds a touch of spice. These last two styles can handle various types of cuisine very well. See this article for more on the Albariño grape and its spiritual home in Rias Baixas.
Don’t forget to check out albarinoday.co.uk for details of
promos and events near you!
Pazo de Villarei Albariño, Rías Baixas 2020
Pazo translates as a typical house of the region, so something a bit like ‘domaine’ in French. This wine hails from the O Rosal sub-region of Rias Baixas and is a great place to start your Albariño journey, thanks to its approachable, fruity, citrussy freshness.
Find it at The Wine Society here for £9.95.
You & Me Albariño 2019
Taking a small step up with grapes harvested from the Salnés Valley (the most northern and coolest subzone of Rías Baixas), this wine is perky and fresh with floral notes and a touch of peach. There’s a little more body and complexity than the previous wine, so it can handle foods well, especially hard, nutty cheeses, white fish and seafood.
Find it at Ocado here for £13.99.
Santiago Ruiz `O Rosal` Rías Baixas 2019
Here’s a wine that showcases how well Albariño can blend with other grapes. While 82% is Albariño, there’s a smattering of other local grape varieties that we more traditionally see used in the Vinho Verde wines of Portugal which are literally just around the corner from Rias Baixas. There’s 9% aromatic Loureiro, with 4% Caíño Blanco, 3% Treixadura and 2% Godello for good measure. It’s a crisp and refreshing Albariño with added notes of lime, white flowers and an interesting herbal note too, like lemon balm. One to savour but is still incredibly easy to drink.
Find it at Bodega Movil here for £17.95.
Check out this link for an article and short video all about Albariño from Rias Baixas! Also, to be in with a chance to win a case of these gorgeous wines head over to our competition!