6 Bottles of Albariño To Serve This Summer

Time to serve some Albariño, says Julie Dupouy…

Rias Baixas, in Galicia, in Spain’s North-West, is one of the few regions in the country to have earned its reputation for its white wines and more specifically, one single grape variety – Albariño. Making up over 95 per cent of the plantings in the region, Albariño has been charming wine lovers across the globe for the past 20 years and is well known as a go-to dry, crisp, delicately fruity and deliciously saline wine.

Rias Baixas belongs to “Green Spain”, a part of the country that benefits from over 2,200 hours of sunlight each year but also receives a generous 1,600+ mm of rain too (more than Ireland!), keeping its landscape lush and verdant. Traditionally, vines have been planted on “Parral”, especially in the flat lands near the rias (estuaries). Parral is a type of pergola that not only promotes good airflow in the vineyards to prevent mildew and other fungal diseases but also allows producers to cultivate other crops under the vines in an effort to maximise their income.

The region’s soils are dominated by granite which, depending on the vineyard’s location, can be mixed with sand, slate or schist. Granite is an important asset for this humid maritime region. Its porous structure helps regulate water levels and maintains an optimum level for viticulture.

In the 19th century, before the Phylloxera louse attacked European vineyards and forced many wine regions to rethink their strategy, often replanting with other grape varieties, Rias Baixas was a red wine-producing region. Today, red grapes only represent one per cent of the plantings but with the growing quality of the red wines being crafted and exported, I have the feeling that these numbers will increase in the coming years. Local red grapes include Caiño Tinto, Espadeiro, Loureira Tinta and Sousó – the styles tend to be light to medium-bodied, moderate in alcohol, vibrant and juicy with a yummy red fruit and mineral aromatic profile. They offer some great alternatives to white wines with fish courses as well as being a super option for picnics, barbecues and light lunches.

Ninety-nine percent of the wine production in Rias Baixas is white and Albariño is the main variety used. However, other grapes deserve a mention too. Loureira, Treixadura and Caiño Blanco add texture and flavours to the finished wines. Few producers are adventurous enough to step off the beaten track and feature these local varieties as solo players. If you come across them, I encourage you to give them a try – they certainly deserve to be given a chance to show their personality and quality.

“With summer approaching, it is a great time to consider lighter, easily digestible mouthwatering wines…”

Albariño wines can be multi-faceted and depending on the area of production within the region, the age of the vineyard and the method of production, the wines can range in style from light, fruity and simple to complex, textural, mineral and age-worthy.

Rias Baixas is divided into five subzones whose names regularly feature on wine labels: Val do Salnés, O’Rosal, Condado do Tea, Ribeira do Ulla and Soutomaior. Val do Salnés is the original and oldest sub-region. It is also the coolest and wettest area, highly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. For these reasons, white wines produced there tend to be sleek, vivid and saline with nuances of citrus fruits. Condado do Tea, in the South, borders Portugal and the Vinho Verde wine region. This mountainous subregion takes its name from the Tea River, a tributary of the Miño River. Because of its inland location, it is warmer and drier, and the wines produced are a little richer, with a riper aromatic profile of stone fruits. Wines sold in this subregion must be a blend of mostly Albariño and Treixadura.

O’Rosal is located is the far south-western corner of Rias Baixas bordering Condado do Tea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Miño River. With granite bedrock and alluvial topsoil, the vineyards are terraced along the shores of the Miño River. O’Rosal wines are also a blend, this time of Albariño and Loureira. They are aromatic, fruity and floral, with a gentle acidity.

Soutomaior is the smallest of all the sub-regions and is nestled in the hills at the head of the Rías de Vigo while Ribeiro do Ulla, the northernmost and most recently recognised sub-region, is composed mostly of alluvial soils especially suited to the production of red grape varieties.

With summer approaching, it is a great time to consider lighter, more digestible and mouthwatering wines and Riais Baixas is a great option in all colours. When opening the reds, don’t be afraid to chill them slightly to maximise their freshness and vibrancy. @julie_dupouy

GREAT GALICIANS