Only one way to celebrate Albariño Day, and that is with this guy:
Whoops! Wrong guy…
This guy:
Albariño (or Alvarinho for our Portuguese friends).
This botanically aromatic grape has become quite the rage in the wine world in the last few years, largely due to its acidity, friendliness with foods, exotic (fun to say) name, and of course, fair market price point.
Thought to be a clone of Riesling traveling from the Alsace in France, yet contested as fact due to the timing of its introduction into Iberia, Albariño is distinct as a varietal, yet shows harmony in the apricot and peach flavors favored in wines like Viognier and Gewürztraminer.
While the new world is experimenting with plantings of the grapes, the premier examples still come from the Rias Baixas DO in Spain. Another place it can be readily found is in the blended wines of Portugal’s Vinho Verde region.
Fun Fact: Until very recently, Australia has not been able to get true Albariño clippings, and thus have been long swindled into buying French Savagnin grapes thinking they were Albariño clippings. Be very mindful when purchasing Australian labeled Albariño wines. To this day, many are actually Savagnin still, not Albariño.