Galicia’s Albariño Grape: The Wild Side of Spanish Whites

October 26, 2010

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The land is lush, marked by wide estuaries (rias) that reach inland from the Atlantic Ocean. It was in the provincal capital of Pontevedra that the Niña, one of Christopher Columbus’ ships, was built for the voyage of discovery to the New World.

This region bears more resemblance to Scotland than to the hot, dry image of southern Spain. To emphasize the point, the bagpipe (la gaita) is the musical instrument of choice in Galicia, not the classical guitar. The language, called Gallego, is a blend of Spanish and Portuguese unique to the region.

The Albariño grape flourishes here in vineyards lined with granite posts called parrales, which are used to elevate the vines for better exposure to both the sun and the ocean breezes.

The wines are low in alochol and have a citrus tang with hints of stone fruit or melon on the aftertaste. They are typically crisp and light, but a few producers have begun aging in oak barrels to give their wines a more mellow touch. Prices, for the most part, are moderate.

I recently tasted a selection of Albariño wines from about 20 producers at an industry event in San Francisco. The normally cool waterfront location, directly across from Alcatraz, was unusually warm during a recent heat wave that sent temperatures in the City by the Bay nearly to triple digits.

It was a perfect backdrop for the wines of Rias Baxias to strut their stuff.

The Salvenal ($9.99) ranked highest on my personal scorecard. It was a bargain and had just enough citrus to balance a hint of sweetness that made it stand out on the palate.

I really liked the balance of the Martin Codax ($14.99). This wine is light, tight and right on target with a fresh lemon-lime edge. It sees no oak, only steel, during production.

I also enjoyed the Dona Rosa. It’s a bit fuller, fatter example with 25 percent of the grapes undergoingmalolactic fermentation. This is a more serious wine. It paired well with a few mild cheeses at the tasting and would probably stand up well to a traditional paella.

Finally, I couldn’t resist the Paco & Lola($22) (right) which sported a playful polka-dot label. Behind the catchy wrapper is another fuller-style wine with a whiff of grapefruit on the nose.

The only thing missing ingredient was a plate of garlicky shrimp or icy oysters on the half shell.

What’s your favorite white wine pairing?  I’ll share your suggestions in a future blog.

Source: http://www.travelbeat.net/winehunter/archives/2008/05/galicia-spain-home-of-the-albarino-grape.html

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