North West Spain's Grapes: Albarino, Mencía

Albarino

Albarino pronounced (ahl bah REE nyoh) is a perfumed elegant wine often making peachy fleshy and crisp wines. Albarino is considered by many to be Spain's premier quality white wine. Albarino has a thick skin enables it to withstand the damp climate the subsequent fruit is small, sweet and high in glycerol, producing wines high in alcohol and acidity. It is primarily grown in the Rias Baixas just north of Portugal on the west coast. Some consider it to be the German Riesling grape brought to Spain by monks, however no DNA fingerprinting has been carried out yet to prove this. Albarino is also known in Portugal as Alvarinho and often used as a component of Vinho Verde.

Mencía