Galician Wines You Should Be Drinking: Ailalá Tinto
If you’ve only had white wines from Galicia, this is your sign to dive into the red wines of Ribeiro. And if your tastes lie somewhere in the neighborhood of cru Beaujolais, Loire Cabernet Franc, or Etna reds, then Ailalá Tinto will be perfect for you.
The Ailalá-Ailalelo project is a collaboration between winemaker Inma Pazos and sommelier Miguel Montoto. The name refers to a typical exclamation in Galician folk songs—here’s an example.
The wines come from Ribeiro’s Avia Valley, which follows the course of the Avia River from its beginnings in the Serra do Suído mountain range above the northern limits of the Ribeiro appellation to where it flows into the Miño River near Ribadavia. Over the course of 38 kilometers, the river looks up at what was once the “golden mile” of Ribeiro, with villages like Leiro, Gomariz, San Clodio, and Beade producing the best wines during its apogee. Soils here are called “sábrego”, the local name for decomposed granite. You can also find these soils in Rías Baixas, where they’re called xabre.
Ailalá Tinto is a field blend of mostly Sousón, with small amounts of Brancellao, Ferrol, and Caiño Longo from biodynamically-farmed vines. Grapes are picked by hand, and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel, followed by four months in French oak barrels to soften Sousón’s earthiness. It’s medium-bodied and super juicy, with brambly cherry, plum, and spice.
Its fruitiness means it could do with a bit of a chill, so I would stick it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Try it with pizza, roasted duck bao buns, eggplant shawarma, or even soy-glazed salmon or grilled lamb.