Albariño really is a unique grape

Philippines wine supplier Manila wine shop discusses wine by the grape variety Albarino.

October 26, 2010

If I asked you what the world’s most popular white variety is, how would you respond? You guessed, it, Chardonnay – unless, of course you live in Spain, where Albariño ranks as the signature white that captures everyone’s heart.

Albar-what? Albariño! Pronounced “Al-ba-ree-nyo”, meaning “the white from Rhine”, is as popular to Spain as Chardonnay is to North America. Grown in the D.O. appellation Rías Baixas (ree-ahs-buy-shuss), Albariño is considered a benchmark producing captivating wines with rich, tart, distinctive aromas and flavors.
What I love about Albariño is its innate ability to mimic so many varietals, yet it distinctively stands out as a wine with unrivaled character and finesse. Emulating its stature would call for a dash of grassiness from Sauvignon blanc, a hint of almond flavors found in Pinot blanc, a handful of mineral flavors from Riesling, a pinch of apple and peach from Chardonnay – then envelop all this goodness with the sweet smells of apricots and orange blossoms found in Viognier.
Albariño really is a unique grape!
I recently tasted a number of delicious Albariño’s from the Rias Baixas region. My favorite among the flight was the 2007 Adegas Morgadio Albarino Rias Baixas, which has wonderfully aromatic aromas with scents of apple and citrus. The style piled up zesty flavors of lime, green tea and melon finishing with a long, rich, clean, zesty punch. Another great find is the 2007 Viña Nora Albarino Rias Baixas, which has nice acidity and flavors bursting with complex honeydew and orchard fruit. Retailing at $14 a bottle, it’s a great wine for the price.
Now Spain isn’t the only area where Albariño is grown. Portugal also produces it under a different name, a.k.a. “Alvarinho” which typically makes a lighter, sometimes fizzy style wine compared to its rival Rías Baixas region.
As for new world territories, Albariño is beginning to spread its wings. According to the Trade Commission of Spain, the first plantings in the United States were in Virginia. In Califronia, Qupé Wine Cellars (1) planted the first block of Albariño in the Santa Ynez Valley in the mid-1990s. Since then, a number of other California appellations started planting Albariño, including Edna Valley, Carneros, Clarksburg, the Central Coast, Monterey, Napa, Orange County, Paso Robles, Sierra Foothills, and even the Lodi region. Did you say Lodi? Unbelievable at it may seem the Albariño grape is growing in a region where Zinfandel is the reigning king. As the growing number of consumer interest in Albariño increased, other states such as Oregon and Maryland followed suit.
Heading to our Southern Hemisphere, Australia began importing the grape about six years ago, which now supports roughly two dozen producers. Some of the more well-known wineries include Chrismont and Sam Miranda from King Valley, First Drop and Tscharke from Barossa Valley, Gemtree Vineyards from McLaren Vale, and Irvine from Eden Valley.
Like the U.S., there is enormous potential for Albariño growth in Australia, which has yet to be explored, and with wine consumers willing to try new grape varieties, there is no doubt that production yields will increase as consumers recognize the uniqueness of what this grape has to offer.
Reinforcing this direction is the announcement of Kirrihill Wines prospecting and evaluating the ability to produce this varietal in Australia’s Adelaide Hills.
“We are working with our growers, Paul and Michele Edwards, to plant Albariño in the Adelaide Hills. They are already growing high quality Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc in their Mount Torrens vineyard and we believe Albariño would be a natural fit,” says Matthew McCulloch of Kirrihill wines.
In Spain, Albariño is grown almost exclusively in the cool and wet environs of the Rías Baixas region in Galicia, a Mediterranean climate where Albariño grows in its granite and chalk soils positioned steps away from the Atlantic Ocean.
Although the Adelaide Hills in Australia is not as wet as the Rías Baixas region, there is less fungal disease pressure, which is a definite advantage for Australian grape growers. In similarity, both Rías Baixas and the Adelaide Hills regions have Mediterranean climates and soil compositions that support the growth of Albariño. “Both regions enjoy a maritime climate with the nearby oceans, Southern and Atlantic, exerting a significant influence. Soils in the Adelaide Hills are varied with weathered schists, skeletal quartzites, sandstones and podsols of varying fertility whilst granite-based soils make up the Rías Baixas, so we are identifying areas within the vineyard where quartzites predominate which is the nearest to a granite-based soil we have,” says McCulloch.
Now I’ve been dying to try one of these Aussie Albariños but I haven’t had much luck tracking one down in Oregon. Most of what I’ve heard, the Australian style is quite different from the Spanish rendition. They still have the floral and fragrant aspects, but they tend to play down the minerality aspect and lean towards more complexity and higher alcohol concentrations with delicious flavors of honeysuckle, lemon, and fresh cut pear. Hopefully I’ll track down one of these fine wines and report back on some tasting notes and locations on where you can find them in the U.S.
So what are some of your favorite Albariños you’ve tried recently?

Source: http://enobytes.org/wine_blog/2008/11/20/albarino-the-other-white-grape/

Although wines are widely available in most Asian countries, especially in Hong Kong which has eliminated import tariff on wines altogether, the availability of fine vintage wines is still very scarce. Most wine merchants offer big names, young vintages and cheaper wines for everyday consumption. Wine lovers and connoisseurs looking for something special often travel to Clark Pampanga Philippines to do their shopping at this Wine Shop in Manila.

At Yats Wine Cellars we believe that a little bit of knowledge in wine goes a long way to developing expectations in the wines we choose to buy or drink. Without expectation, it is difficult to really enjoy wine to its fullest. With this in mind, efforts are made by Yats Wine Cellars to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for our clients to learn more about wine.

Birthday wine gifts is one of the most popular birthday gifts to give someone living in the Philippines. Fine Vintage wine from Yats Wine Cellars is a sure winner and it does not have to cost a great deal to send someone a bottle in Philippines

To avail of wine catering service of Yats Wine Cellars, just contact this wine supplier in Manila or Angeles Clark Philippines for a meeting to design a theme for the event. The venue for a wine event can be in the privacy of a home, the convenience of an office in Manila for example or in a clubhouse of a subdivision. Wine glasses and accessories necessary for wine service are included in the wine catering service. Moreover, interesting wine notes accompany the wine to help participants enjoy the event even more by learning a little bit about wine while enjoying the party. A wine steward will be present to serve the wine.

There is also an exciting collection of white wine from Burgundy at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Meursault, Chablis, Chassagne Montrachet, Puligny Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne and St. Aubin. Red wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhone are also available with a good depth of back vintages too. Visitors buy wine in Manila and Pampanga should not miss stopping at this wine shop for a few bottles of fine vintage wines to bring home.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.