And we are back my dear friends! Since August 1st is annually celebrated as International Albariño Day, we want to talk about this delicious and well-known varietal. The celebration, a week festival also known as 'Fiesta del Albariño', occurs during the week leading to the first Sunday of August in Cambados, a municipality of Galicia, Spain. The special date originated from a challenge between two men, Bernardo Quintanilla and Ernesto Zarate, to determine the best wine of 1952. The following year pioneered the Albariño Day celebration.
Galicia is located up on the northwest coast of the Iberian peninsula in Spain. The area is commonly known as ‘Green Spain’, famous for its spectacular luscious green landscapes and rocky coastline. It is a unique area with its own micro-climate and even its own dialect. It is believed that the Romans brought viticulture to the Galicia region and the white grape Albariño is the shining star of Rías Baixas region. In the 1980's the modern winemaking history of Rías Baixas began, and in 1988 after Spain joined the European Union (EU), Rías Baixas DO was finally created. The DO is divided into five sub-zones, four of them in the province of Pontevedra and one in the south of the province of A Coruña.
Alvarinho, as this varietal is also known and grown in Portugal, is generally produced in a high acidity and low alcohol manner. Vino Verde, often made up primarily of Alvarinho, is usually bottled young, with a slight fizz, and is meant for early drinking.
In Galicia the grape is noted for its distinctive botanical aroma with a citrous undertone, very similar to that of Viognier, Gewurztraminer, and Petit Manseng, suggesting apricot and peach. The wine produced is unusually light, and generally high in acidity with alcohol levels of 11.5–12.5%. The thick skins of the grapes and large number of pips can cause residual bitterness. Most Albariño’s from this region tend to be enjoyed youthful, with hints of apple and green fruits and occasionally flower blossom with a refreshing high acidity. Wines close to the coastline often display more prominent yet delicate saline or mineral characteristics. Albariño is a friend to all things from the sea, it pairs exceptionally well with white fish and meats as well as leafy green herbs.
The secret of Albariño's worldwide importance lies in the fresh and fruity character of its wines, especially those from the DO Rías Baixas, since they show a unique profile in which a high acidity stands out, with a well present salinity. This character of the Albariño wines is very pleasant for most palates, both those who are most trained in the world of tasting and those who are not. But in addition, in terms of oenological potential, Albariño wines also show excellent qualities for aging on lees and aging in different types of containers. Its versatility offers a world of possibilities from the point of view of winemaking and greatly expands market possibilities, with options suitable for the best restaurants, countless pairings, chatting or just for tastings by professionals and lovers of good wine.
In the last 20 years, the export of wines from the DO Rías Baixas has grown by more than 7 million litres. Albariño wines are sold all over the world: in Europe, America, Asia, Oceania and Africa. Some of the countries that import the most Albariño wine are the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Norway, Belgium, Austria, Russia, Japan, China and Australia. Albariño has become one of the most international grape varieties, and for this reason it is more than worthwhile to dedicate an “Albariño Day” to it, and let's not forget Cambados, considered the birthplace of Albariño and declared in 2017 European City of Wine.
As always, we have a couple of recommendations for you... This time they come from Viña Almirante, a winery located in Portas (Galicia), in the heart of Umia Valley:
Viña Almirante Albariño 100% is elegant, with a fruity character, fresh and delicate. Every year they harvest the grape as late as possible, taking risks, giving the vineyard time to deliver a grape to its maximum expression. The selection, carried out by hand, is a careful work that culminates with a cold skin maceration.
Vicius, simply put, is an exceptional wine, winner of Acio Prata Catas de Galicia 2020 as the best Albariño D.O. Rías Baixas in barrel. Vicius results of hand-selected grapes fermented in new French oak barrels of medium toast. It then ages for a period of three months. Twice a day, during this period, bâtonage is applied. Bâtonage is a French term that refers to the stirring of settled lees back into wine. After barrel fermentation and bâtonage, Vicious spends seven additional months in stainless inert tanks prior to bottling. To the palate it feels ample and dense, with an integrated acidity and a lengthy persistence that turn its aftertaste into a lingering memory, the memory of the sea. Just exceptional.
The future for Albariño continues to shine! The varietal has great potential to produce high-quality wines under the skilled guidance of experts and even a new wave of winemakers. They are proving that their wines have a place at the table with many of the other premium white wines of the world! Cheers to that!
And that's a wrap for today my friends!
Let's meet here next Wednesday, until then... Santé!
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