Albarino: Spain's Most Compelling White Grape Albarino is an indigenous Spanish grape variety whose home is Rias Baixas and the Galician hinterlands of northwest Spain and Portugal. Albarino was once thought to be distantly related to Riesling, but some enologists now believe that Albarino may be more closely connected to the Petit Manseng variety of southwest France, just on the other side of the towering Pyrenees Mountains. However, no dry white Petit Manseng can match the body and finesse of Spain's finest Albarino wines.
In Portugal, Albarino goes by the name Alvarinho where it usually ends up as a light summertime quaff in the guise of Vinho Verde. Surely, nowhere could a single grape variety be more different than Albarino is in Spain and Portugal. While Portugal picks this varietal early and makes a low alcohol wine (8.5%-9% on average), Spain, under the tutelage of the Mendez family and similar minded individuals in Rias Baixas, turns out a full-bodied, intense Albarino with aromatic and flavor profiles more akin to Viognier - the greatest white variety of France's Rhone Valley. Albarino is now being extensively studied and planted in other locales around the world, including Australia, California, and South Africa. Early reports from winemakers and consumers appear especially promising in Australia for the late maturing Albarino, where extended growing seasons are common and the grape's firm, bright acidity is much appreciated. We can expect to see more of this premium grape variety in the years to come.
