Albañariño

Albariño is a white grape variety native to Galicia, in the north-west of Spain, and the adjoining north of Portugal. In Spain the grape is mainly associated with the DO Rías Baixas in the province of Pontevedra. According to the Consejo Regulador, 95 percent of albariño production falls within that designation of origin.

In Portugal the grape is called alvarinho. There it grows mainly in the subregion Monção e Melgaço, within the Vinho Verde wine region. It is the same grape under two names, on either side of the river Minho.

An albariño from Rías Baixas comes from a protected designation of origin (DO) that was confirmed on 28 July 1988 by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture. Before that, the Denominación Específica Albariño had existed since 1980. The area began with three subzones: Val do Salnés, Condado do Tea and O Rosal. Soutomaior was added in 1996 and Ribeira do Ulla in 2000.

According to the Consejo Regulador, the DO has 4,808 hectares of vineyard, spread over 24,175 plots, with more than 4,960 grape growers. The number of wine houses grew from 14 in 1988 to 178.

If the label says Rías Baixas Albariño, the wine is made from 100 percent albariño, coming from one or more of the subzones. In addition there are wines that carry the name of a subzone. A Rías Baixas Val do Salnés contains at least 70 percent albariño. For Condado do Tea, albariño and treixadura together make up at least 70 percent; for Rosal, it is albariño and loureira.

A Rías Baixas Barrica is matured in wooden casks of at most 600 litres, with the maturation period on the label. A Rías Baixas Espumoso is sparkling wine made by the traditional method, with the second fermentation in the bottle.

The grape is the same; only the name and the rules differ. Alvarinho is the Portuguese name. According to the Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos Vinhos Verdes, the grape originates in Monção e Melgaço, the northernmost point of Portugal in the Minho valley. That sub-region was delimited in 1908.

Monção e Melgaço has 1,730 hectares of vineyard, of which 1,340 hectares are alvarinho, with 2,085 grape growers. Within the Vinho Verde rules, alvarinho has a higher minimum alcohol percentage than the other grapes. Sparkling alvarinho has also been made there since the 1990s.

From Galicia there are albariños by Benito Santos and the sparkling Mar de Frades Albariño Atlántico Brut Nature. From Portugal comes the Alvarinho Contacto by Anselmo Mendes, a Vinho Verde. The grape is also planted outside Spain and Portugal: Laurent Miquel discovered albariño on a holiday in Galicia and then planted the grape in the Languedoc. From him the Les Auzines Albariño and the Côte 238 are in the shop, which according to the producer is made from albariño.

If you would like to know which bottle suits an occasion, call the shop or drop by at Brink 2 in Bathmen.

The shop is at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 and Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00. For advice, call 0570 541 278 or email info@bockje.nl.