| Albariño / Alvarinho | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 Bunch of Alvarinho /Albariño grapes | |
| Color of berry skin | Blanc |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Alvarinho andother synonyms |
| Origin | Galicia andPortugal |
| Notable regions | Minho,Portugal;Galicia,Spain |
| Notable wines | Vinho Verde (Vinho Alvarinho),Rías Baixas |
| VIVC number | 15689 |
Albariño (Galician pronunciation:[alβaˈɾiɲʊ]) orAlvarinho (Portuguese pronunciation:[alvɐˈɾiɲu]) is a variety of whitewinegrape grown inGalicia (northwest Spain) and in Northwest Portugal (Monção and Melgaço,Alto Minho) where it is also used to makevarietal white wines.[1] Albariño is the name for the grape inGalician. In Portugal it is known as Alvarinho, and sometimes asCainho Branco.[2]
It was once thought that Albariño/Alvarinho was brought toIberia by monks from the monastery ofCluny in the twelfth century, but recent studies point to Albariño/Alvarinho being native to Galicia/Portugal.[3][4] Both the Galician "Albariño" and the Portuguese "Alvarinho", derive fromalbo<albus, meaning "white, whitish".[5] It has also been theorized that the grape is a close relative of the French grapePetit Manseng.[6]
It should not be confused with Alvarinho Lilás[7] (Madeira), Albarín Blanco (Asturias in Northern Spain),Albillo Real, Azal,Caiño Blanco (O Rosal in Galicia and Portugal),Galego Dourado,Savagnin Blanc (Galicia, France, Australia), orVerdeca (Puglia in Italy).[8]
Spain produces Albariño to a significant degree in theRías BaixasDO, as well as inBarbanza e Iria.[9] In Portugal Alvarinho is common in theVinho Verde region, but it is only authorized to be grown inMonção andMelgaço.[10] In other locations such asRibeiro, Lima, orBraga it is often mixed with other grapes such asLoureiro,Godelho,Cainho orBorraçal,Arinto orTreixadura to produce blended wines. Such blends were common throughout Galicia too until about 1985; when the Rías Baixas DO was established in 1986, Albariño began to emerge as a variety, both locally and internationally.[11] Its emergence as a variety led the wines to be "crafted for the palates of Europe, America and beyond and for wine drinkers who wanted clean flavors and rich,ripe fruit" and led to wines completely different from those produced across the river in Portugal.[11]
Albariño is now produced in several California regions including the Santa Ynez Valley,Clarksburg, Napa, Edna Valley andLos Carneros AVAs.[12] Albariño is also produced in Oregon, first byAbacela Winery[13] in theUmpqua Valley AVA,[14] and in Washington state.[15]
Albariño is also grown in Uruguay and is produced as a varietal by Bodegas Garzon.
Albariño has also attracted the attention of Australian winemakers, several of whom produce varietal wines. However, it was discovered that grape growers and wine makers in Australia had been supplying and selling wrongly labelled Albariño for over a decade.[16] A French expert visiting Australia raised questions in 2008, and DNA testing confirmed that the grapes thought to be Albariño were in fact French Savagnin and almost all wine in Australia labelled as Albariño is Savagnin.[17]
The grape is noted for its distinctive botanical aroma with a citrus undertone, very similar to that ofViognier,Gewurztraminer, andPetit Manseng, suggestingapricot andpeach. The wine produced is unusually light, and generally high in acidity with alcohol levels of 11.5–12.5%.[9] Its thick skins and large number of pips can cause residual bitterness.
For hundreds of years, Alvarinho/Albariño vines could be found growing around the trunks ofpoplar trees and in bushes along the outside margins of fields—a practice which some growers still use in Portugal'sVinho Verde region. In the middle of the century, however, growers made big investments and became professional grape growers.[18] In Vinho Verde, the vines are typically trained on high pergolas, which encourages over-cropping, often leading to grapes that are unable to exceed more than 8.5% potential alcohol.[19] When grown in a vineyard, the vines need to be wire trained with large canopies to accommodate the 30 to 40 buds per shoot that is typical. The grape responds well to the heat and humidity though the high yields and bunching of clusters usually keep the grapes within the margins of ripeness.[9]
Alvarinho/Albariño is also known under the synonyms Albelleiro, Alvarin Blanco, Azal Blanco, Galego, Galeguinho, and Padernã.[8]
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