Albariño

Albariño is a dry, crisp white best known from Galicia in northwestern Spain, with bright lemon, lime and peach flavours alongside white flowers and a distinctive salty, mineral edge. Fresh, aromatic and practically made for seafood, it’s brilliant with prawns, oysters, mussels, crab, grilled fish, sushi and seafood pasta.

Taste:

Citrus, stone fruit and serious seaside energy.

Albariño is typically dry and light to medium-bodied, with high acidity and flavours of lemon, lime, grapefruit, peach and sometimes apricot. Expect floral aromas alongside a distinctive mineral or saline character.

Some examples are incredibly crisp and zesty, while wines made from riper fruit or given extra time on their lees can develop more texture and complexity.

That combination of ripe stone fruit, citrus and mouth-watering acidity makes Albariño feel refreshing without being neutral.

It's basically what you'd want to drink overlooking the sea. Convenient, given where a lot of it grows.

Food Pairings:

Albariño and seafood is one of those pairings that barely needs introducing.

Try it with oysters, prawns, mussels, crab, scallops, clams, calamari or a full seafood platter. Its salty, citrusy character works brilliantly with shellfish.

For fish, pair it with grilled sea bass, cod, sea bream, sole or haddock, particularly with lemon, garlic or fresh herbs.

Seafood pasta, prawn linguine, garlic prawns and fish tacos are excellent matches too.

Albariño also works beautifully with sushi, sashimi and ceviche.

For lighter meals, try goat's cheese salad, fresh salads, grilled vegetables or dishes featuring citrus and herbs.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Albariño, Verdejo is a great next move for another fresh Spanish white with citrus, herbs and plenty of acidity.

Muscadet takes things in an even leaner, more mineral direction and is another brilliant shellfish wine, while Picpoul de Pinet brings similarly zesty citrus and coastal freshness.

Vermentino is also worth exploring if Mediterranean herbs, citrus and salty mineral flavours are your thing.

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More About Albariño:

Albariño is most famously associated with Rías Baixas in Galicia, northwestern Spain, where the cool, wet Atlantic-influenced climate helps the grape retain its trademark acidity and freshness.

Cross the border into northern Portugal and you'll find the same grape called Alvarinho, where it plays an important role in Vinho Verde and other regional wines.

Albariño has relatively thick skins, which help it cope with Galicia's damp climate, and many vineyards traditionally train the vines high above the ground on pergolas to improve airflow.

Spain calls it Albariño. Portugal calls it Alvarinho.

For once, they only changed one letter.

Progress.