Albariño (Alba-REEN-yo) is a white wine grape from the Rías Baixas region of Galicia. It makes wines that are famously crisp and refreshing with hints of salinity. Albariño’s reputation for pairing with any type of seafood you throw its way has made it famous all over the world as a young wine, perfect for summertime.
That’s one expression of Albariño wine, sure. But there’s so much more to this grape. For example, did you know Albariño can age? Or that some of those aged Albariños can rival the best white wines in the world? Or that you can pair Albariño with a lot more than just seafood?
If you want to learn about everything Albariño, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start at the beginning…
What is albariño?
Albariño is a white wine grape from Galicia and Northern Portugal. It’s the most-cultivated white grape in Galicia, and usually associated with the Rías Baixas. It’s also planted in Ribeiro, Monterrei and Ribeira Sacra as a complementary variety. In Portugal, it’s one of the primary grapes of Vinho Verde, where it’s spelled alvarinho.
Albariño Tech Sheet
- Color: Lemon-yellow with green tones
- Aromatic Intensity: High
- Aromas: Green apple, Lemon Peel, Lime, Apricot, Peach, Sea Salt
- Acidity: High
- Alcohol: 12%+
- Body: Medium
- Produced In: Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, IXPs of Galicia
- Synonyms: Alvarinho (Portugal)
What does Albariño wine smell like?
Although each subzone has its differences, wines made from albariño usually have primary fruit and floral aromas such as green apple, pear, citrus, peach and white flowers.
Depending on the expression of the wine it can have tropical fruit aromas like pineapple, mango, and banana, and even mint, eucalyptus, and grass.
What does Albariño wine taste like?
On the palate, wines have medium to high acidity and often show saline characteristics. They have good structure, with a medium to full body and a persistent finish that can sometimes be bitter.
Is Albariño Galician or Portuguese?
The answer is easy: both!
Albariño comes from the region straddling the Miño river known as the Raia, and it’s been growing there for a while. Long before Spain and Portugal and their respective borders existed, different kingdoms ruled the area, and people were cultivating albariño.
But where exactly did it come from?
Legend has it that it was Cistercian monks on the Camino de Santiago, replanting vines as part of their pilgrimage, who brought albariño to Galicia. That would put the grape’s origins somewhere in France. Another popular tale looks for the grape’s origins in its name. Alba, meaning white in Latin, and Rin, for Rhine, would mean “white of the Rhine.” Both nice stories, but as it turns out, totally false!
In 2020, researchers from the Misión Biológica de Galicia got their hands on grape seeds from Roman excavations near Vigo. When they compared the seeds with modern ones, they were shocked at the similarity between the Roman grapes and modern-day albariño.
This gives weight to the theory that the Romans arrived to this far-flung territory in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and got down to business taming the wild grapes they found there, domesticating them and adapting them for winemaking.
Albariño was historically cultivated in the Rias Baixas for centuries, but its true potential wasn’t recognized until the second half of the 20th century. After the formation of the Rías Baixas appellation in 1988, albariño reached its status as one of the powerhouse white grapes of Spain.
Some technical details
Albariño has a large potential for sugar production, and it’s common for wines to reach more than 12% alcohol, with some as high as 14% ABV. The grape also has naturally high acidity, falling between 7.2 and 14.3 g / L.
Albariño wine has a high concentration of terpenes that makes it characteristically aromatic, and together with its acidity leads some sommeliers to describe it as Viognier on the nose, Riesling on the palate.
Albariño is the only grape variety in Spain that’s prohibited from appearing anywhere on the labels of non-appellation wine (wines without a DO or IGP), even if those wines are made from albariño.
How is Albariño made?
Albariño is made in the same way as most white wines. Although most Albariño wines enter the market with less than a year of aging, some winemakers choose to keep Albariño in the winery for longer periods, experimenting with techniques like barrel-aging and contact with the lees. More and more people in the wine world are recognizing its aging potential as well.
Producers like Pazo de Señoráns and Adegas Castrobrey make some standout aged albariños that show the passage of time with intense golden yellow colors and huge aromatic complexity, ranging from oxidative notes like almonds, cashews, and caramel, or more herbal, petrol-like notes, similar to an aged Riesling. On the palate, these wines don’t diminish with age. Their acidity sticks around as an electric current that cuts through a backdrop of candied citrus and oxidative, nutty notes.
Albariños made in barrels have more intense yellow-gold colors and a balance between the primary fruit aromas and tertiary aromas from wood like vanilla. Wood aging also adds body and well-integrated tannins.
How is Albariño grown?
If you’re short enough to avoid any bumps on the head, you can take a stroll through the pergolas, or parras in Galician, of the Rías Baixas. Here, albariño grows on raised wires supported by granite posts. The pergola system has several advantages: it allows for the highest production of grapes and exposes the vine’s leaves to the most amount of light and ventilation (something that’s important in a region with cloudy, rainy weather for half the year). But despite the ventilation the pergolas provide, mildew and botrytis can still pose a problem. This means that farming fully organically can be nearly impossible in Rías Baixas, and only two producers make certified organic Albariño.
There’s another reason for the pergola, too. In the past, people had a lot of crops in a small space. They took advantage of their vines’ love for climbing and trained them upward, so they could plant other crops down below. Nowadays, commercial growers plant their vines in well-ordered pergolas, but it’s not uncommon to see vines climbing up porches, over fences, and in between houses.
Pairing with Food
Ask any Spaniard what to drink Albariño with, and they’ll immediately say seafood. If it’s Galician, even better. This the primordial pairing: wine grown practically on the beach paired with food plucked right out of the sea. The natural acidity and citrus aromas and flavors in the wine bring out the best in any kind of seafood, from shellfish to sea bass. But there’s much more to Albariño, and we can’t always live by the (somewhat overused at this point) maxim that “what grows together, goes together.” So what else goes with this wine?
Meat
Albariño’s best friend from the meat family is jamón iberico, cured Spanish ham. Prosciutto or any other kind of cured ham can also fill its shoes, since the wine’s acidity perfectly cuts through salty, fatty flavors, cleansing the palate. goes well with lighter meats like pork or chicken, and more intense styles of wine with lees or barrel age can even stand up to stewed rabbit, suckling pig, or lamb, especially when they’re in sauces with cream, butter, or citrus.
Cheese
Albariño combines exceptionally well with creamy cheeses like Brie or Camembert. In Galicia, it’s also common to drink it with soft cow’s-milk cheeses like the ubiquitous “tetilla” cheese from Arzua-Ulloa. Some barrel-aged Albariños can stand up to stronger cheeses, like smoked Gouda or parmesan.
Fish and Seafood
Albariño pairs incredibly well with all kinds of fish and shellfish. Raw oysters, steamed mussels or cockles, or grilled scallops are all enhanced and complemented by Albariño. Paella and other rice dishes like risottos are another great option, as is Japanese sashimi, sushi or tuna tataki. Fish tacos, with their burst of lime, cilantro, and flaky white fish are just begging for Albariño to complete the mix.
Other Pairings
Although Albariño lacks the sweetness of some Rieslings, it packs the aromatic punch to pair with Thai food, with dishes like tom yum, green curry sauce, or Pad Thai as perfect options. Green vegetables like asparagus or artichokes can also be a good option. Braised artichokes in beurre blanc with Albariño is a memorable pairing for me.
Want to learn more about Galician wine grapes? Check out the rest of them here.
Take a look at the comprehensive guide to Rías Baixas, the home of Albariño.
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