10 fun facts about Albariño to banish the blues

Partial to a crisp, fruity white wine? Introducing Albariño, an aromatic white ready to kick on as long as you are.

From spy-thriller antics when the grape varietal first landed in Australia (see point 5 below) to a history that puts the ‘a’ in ‘ancient’, these 10 fun facts about Albariño will leave you poised to wipe the floor at your next dinner party or boozy trivia night.

Because sharing is caring.

1.      Albariño originated in the Iberian Peninsula in Spain

Born in Galicia in the northwest Iberian Peninsula in Spain, Albariño is a crisp and refreshing white wine grown predominantly in Spain and Portugal. Albariño vines are thought to be an impressive one thousand years old, having been brought to Iberia by devoted monks in the 12th century.

2.      Two names, one delicious grape varietal

In Galicia, Albariño wine is known as – yep – Albariño, while the Portuguese call it Alvarinho (both names derive from the word ‘white’). Comfortingly, the grape’s personality is decidedly unified, with common aromas and flavours that we’ll get to in a moment.

3.      Albariño, your fresh ‘n’ floral sidekick

A delicious aromatic white wine with bright citrus and stone fruit notes, Albariño finishes dry and crisp thanks to its bracing acidity. Other aromas and flavours include pear, nectarine and lime, with hints of spritzy sea air and even honeysuckle.

4.      A fan of Viognier or Gewurztraminer? Then you’ll love Albariño

Light, fruity white wines your thing? If you’re partial to the citrusy, floral flavours of Viognier or Gewurztraminer (or both – why limit yourself?), then odds are you’ll love the similar flavours of Albariño. And if not, we’re sorry to hear that because Albariño’s yum.

5.      Real or fake? Albariño in Australia

There’s nothing like a little controversy to snap one’s palate to attention, and the story of Albariño’s journey to production in Australia is a real doozy.

In the early 2000s, excitement abounded among Aussie grape growers when Albariño landed in Oz thanks to Spain providing propagating material to the CSIRO. Everything was going along swimmingly until things hit a snag in 2009. Turns out the grapes growing in many ‘Albariño’ vineyards here were in fact Savagnin, due to Spain making the teensiest of mistakes and sending the wrong grape varietal on its merry way down south.

Thankfully, the problem was rectified and an increasing number of wineries in Australia now produce real Albariño. Brown Brothers is proud to count ourselves as one of them.

6.      The Albariño grape prefers cool growing conditions

Albariño is best suited to cool growing conditions like we experience in the upper reaches of the King Valley in Victoria. It’s also partial to bodies of water, explaining its rampant production in the coastal regions of Spain and Portugal.

7.      Cellar or drink now – the choice is yours

It requires extreme patience to cellar wines at the best of times, with your newly-purchased bottle inevitably calling to you on a lonesome Tuesday night (or perhaps that’s just us). If you’re reading this and nodding ‘yes’, then take heart. Most Albariño is designed to be drunk young and fresh, while its citrus and floral notes are still kicking.

But if you have the wherewithal to actually cellar wine without drinking it in the first five minutes, then the high acidity and phenolics from the Albariño grape’s chunky skins means you can age most Albariños very successfully.

We’d go a little of column A, a little of column B.

8.      Albariño vines – the vinous equivalent of tree-hugging hippies

Traditionally, Albariño vines often grew around the trunks of poplar trees in Spain and Portugal. But once modern winemaking took over and production moved to vineyards, Albariño’s inherent free spirit was quite literally bound with wire. With typically 30 to 40 buds per vine, the vine’s large canopies are now wire-trained into submission. It’d be almost cruel if it didn’t produce such scrummy white wine.

9.      Albariño is on the lighter side when it comes to alcohol

Albariño isn’t especially high in alcohol – at least compared to most red wines. Usually it clocks in at 11.5–13.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), compared to around 14% for Aussie Chardonnay. The Albariño we produce here at Brown Brothers sits at 12.5%.

10. A transcendent food pairing: Albariño and seafood

Albariño’s coastal origins make it perfect to pair with seafood. Freshly-shucked oysters, mussels, pan-fried trout fillets – the list goes on. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Galicia in Spain, then you absolutely must experience this fruity white wine with the renowned local dish squid a la gallega. Trust us on this one.

11. BONUS FUN FACT

Wouldn’t you know it, the 1st of August is International Albariño Day! There’s nothing like a wine holiday to lift one’s flagging winter spirits – especially if you call Melbourne or chilly Tasmania home. Turn that frown upside down with a seafood feast paired with a bottle of our Brown Brothers Limited Release Albariño, guaranteed to warm your cockles from the inside out.