Welcome to our new website! Discover what's new in our latest article.
rgba(0,0,26,1)
rgba(255,255,255,1)
Discover and bid on unique, highly limited and renowned wines in our online auctions each month.
Albariño
Albariño is a white grape grown in Galicia in north-western Spain, and in northern Portugal where the grape is known as Alvarinho. Some of the oldest living vines in the world are Albariño vines and are up to 300 years old.
The exact origins of the grape are not understood but it has historically been thought to have arrived in the Iberian Peninsula with Cluny monks from 12th century France. As such, it is often believed to be a relative of the Reisling or Petit Manseng varietals. The grape takes its name from the Latin for "white."
Albariño is well adapted to pergola trellising systems, which suspend the vines overhead to help keep grapes dry and rot-free. This form of viticulture was first adopted in the mid-20th century, however some growers still opt for the traditional practice of cultivating the vines in bushes around the base of poplar trees. The adoption of pergola trellising was one of the technical advancements that facilitated the rise of Albariño as a single-varietal wine, alongside important improvements in the social conditions in the areas it was grown.
The most popular Albariño and Alvarinho wines are from Rías Baixas and Vinho Verde.
Notable regions
In Spain, Albariño is rose to prominence in the 1980s as a varietal wine following the creation of the Rías Baixas DO of the Pontevedra region of Galicia. In Portugal, Alvarinho is common throughout the Vinho Verde DOC which was historically part of the Minho province before its dissolution in 1976. There, the Alvarinho grapes are grown in the designated subregion of Monção & Melgaço.
Elsewhere, Albariño is also grown in Uruguay, and the US states of California, Oregon and Washington.
Characteristics
Albariño produced light bodied wines, known for their high acidity, low sweetness and stone fruit flavours.
The dominant flavours and aromas of Albariño are citrus notes of lemon zest, lime, grapefruit and nectarine, alongside, peach, melon and, as a coastal grape, saline.