Albariño, along with Verdejo, has become a signature white wine grape for Spain on the export markets. There’s a grape called Airèn that is white, and although only grown in Spain, it is one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world apparently. Most of it though stays in the country for cheaper local blends and table wines.
Albariño’s big draw is that it gives very aromatic (strong smelling in a good way) wines, that usually base around peach and apricot flavours. I’m sold already! It’s also got naturally very high acidity, and can be made into different styles, from light and refreshing, to fuller styles.
Albariño also has the massive advantage of being a thick skinned grape. This means that it’s less easily penetrated (oi oi!) by fungal diseases in the wet and humid areas on the coast. A perfect grape for a unique area of Spanish vineyards.
One thing also worth noting about Albariño is its rise in popularity. Across the globe people are drinking more of it, and given the sometimes difficult production years and effort that’s put into making it, it’s rarely cheap. Having said that, when we say cheap we’re talking around £5. As you can see from the choices we’re looking at this week £10 (+/- £3) is still very available.
Cheers
