Discovering Rias Baixas: Home of the Albariño
Galicia, tucked in the northwest corner of Spain right in between Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean, is home to one of Spain’s premier regions for white wines: the denominación de origen Rias Baixas famous for its albariño grape. The albariño grape, which accounts for 96% of all plantings in the region, is not found in other areas of Spain. Because of this, the grape has become synonymous for Rias Baixas and the wines are often named after the grape rather than the origin as is customary in the rest of Spain and Europe.
The Region
The Rias Baixas region, aptly named for the low estuaries where it lies, is the most famous wine region in Galicia. Its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean mitigates swings in temperatures and extreme climatic conditions and allows the region to benefit from a cool, wet, and sunny maritime climate. So much is the influence of the ocean that often people describe these wines as “briny” or even go as far as calling them as “wines from the sea.” This climate together with its granite soil make it ground zero for some amazing crisp, mineral white wines.
The Grape
Albariño grapes are usually planted on southwest-facing slopes to ensure the maximum sun light for ripening. Due to excessive rain and moisture in the region, the grapes are grown on parras, overhead trellises or canopies of support wires attached to 8 to 10-foot-high granite columns. This helps keep the grapes away from the ground allowing air to circulate and keeping them dry. Because usually the space in between the parras and below the canopies is small, machines cannot fit in and pruning and harvesting needs to be done totally by hand.
The Wines
Albariño wine is typically not fermented or aged in wood. This results in a pale colored, light-to-medium bodied wine that is pure and vibrant and very mineral driven in flavor. With aromas reminiscent of citrus, green apple and stone fruits and a tart, almost sea-like flavor, albariños pair extremely well with a variety of fish and seafood such as hake, cod, baby scallops and octopus. In addition, they make heavenly matches with young soft or semi-soft cheeses. Some of the better known albariños outside of Spain are Martin Codax and Terras Gauda.