Albariño

Albariño (ahl-bah-REEN-yo)

Also known as: Alvarinho; Albarin Blanco; Cainho Branco

Believed to be indigenous to Spain, Albariño is the mainstay of wine production in the Rías Baixas region in northwestern part of the country (Galicia) and it is one of the few Spanish grapes that is labeled primarily as a varietal wine. Additionally, Albariño is a component in a variety of blends in other appellations of northern Spain and Portugal, most notably Vinho Verde in the Minho region (northern Portugal.)

Albariño is a late-ripening, moderately cool to warm climate variety with small, conical clusters of loosely knit, spherical berries. High in sugar and potential alcohol and extremely high in acid, the fruit is relatively hardy because of the thickness of its skin, a key contributor to its intense fragrance, which yields a wine with a seductive perfume of citrus, grapefruit, lemon peel and white peach, with pronounced floral and almond notes. Albariño remains light, elegant and fresh on the palate due to the wine’s elevated acidity. It rarely sees much oak, but full malolactic fermenation is typical giving finished wines a smooth mouth feel.

Sources: Jancis Robinson , Oxford Campanion to Wine, Second Edition, 1999, Society of Wine Educators Web Site, www.societyofwineeducators.org, Kobrand Corporation, www.kobrandwineandspirits.com, E&J Gallo, www.gallowineacademy.com