2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Albarinho is a white grape variety used for wine production. It is grown in the northwestern part of Portugal, as well as in Galicia, Spain. Small arrays are also found in the United States and Australia. The same variety is also known by the names azal blanco, albarinya, alvarinya, galego, alvarin blanco, galeginho and others.
Large quantities of Albarinho grapes are harvested in Spain. Extensive areas with vineyards are mostly in the area of the city of Cambados. The variety is also very common in Vino Verde. Elsewhere, such as Lima and Braga, it is mixed with different varieties to produce blended wines. In recent years, Albarinho has also aroused the interest of Australian winemakers.
However, it has recently become clear that a large amount of the wine offered there was in fact wrongly marketed as albarino more than a decade. Producers thought they were investing in Spanish grapes, but were surprised to find that they managed French cuttings. The confusion came to light in 2008, when a French expert visited Australia. DNA analysis followed, proving that the bottled wine was actually Savagnin.
Albarinho can be recognized by its external characteristics. Its leaves are rounded, small, light green, with triangular teeth. The clusters are small, winged, sometimes loose. Albarino grains are of medium size, spherical.
It sometimes happens that they flatten slightly. They are colored yellowish or greenish. They often have a pink tint on this side, which is facing the sun. The flesh is watery and soft. It has a pleasant and fruity taste. It is covered with a thick and dense scale. High quality white wines are made from the fruits of Albarinho.
History of Albarinho
Albariño is actually the Galician name for the grapes. In Portugal it is called Alvarinho and sometimes Cainho Branco. It is believed to have reached Iberia by monks in the twelfth century. It was considered a Riesling double. There are also suggestions that this variety is related to the French Petit Manseng.
In the early twentieth century the vines of albarinho are observed mainly around the trunks of trees, only in limited places. A few decades later, however, winemakers saw great potential in this grape and began to invest more and more in its management and in the expansion of the massifs.
Characteristics of Albarinho
As already mentioned, valuable white wines are produced from the Albarinho variety. They are characterized by a light yellowish color. Their acidity is high and the alcohol content is in the range of 11.5-12.5 percent. Albarinho wines are extremely fragrant. They have a scent that will transport you to a meadow dotted with a variety of wrists or aromatic herbs.
Fruit aromas are not missing either. When inhaled, you can not associate the drink with citrus fruits, as well as peaches, apricots and apples. Occasionally there may be a slight bitterness caused by the thick skin of the fruit, as well as the large number of seeds. Albarinho is an elegant and dense drink with a fresh start and an elegant finish.
Serving albarino
The wine from albarinho there is something to impress even the most experienced palate. However, in order to reveal its remarkable qualities, this fragrant drink must be slightly cooled. It is recommended that its temperature be around ten degrees. The charm of the drink can be further enhanced by the glass in which it is poured.
That is why we offer you to serve the wine in a universal glass for white wine, which will be convenient for serving other types of white wines. This cup is made of glass and has a small volume. The chair is completely upright, cylindrical. The cup has very slight curves. In its lower part it expands slightly. In the area around the chair, as well as at the top, it narrows slightly.
As for combining with albarinho with food, there is an unwritten rule that white wine is combined with white meats. That is why you can stop at fish dishes and other seafood delicacies. Dishes like white fish with baked olives, white fish in a mill, fried hake, shark in protein and pangasius in tomato sauce will do a great job.
From the seafood recipes we recommend a salad with mussels and tomatoes, mussels in a pan, paella with seafood, mussels with garlic, squid with mayonnaise and mustard, marinated oysters and sandwiches with crab and sardines.
Poultry flavors are also suitable for serving with albarino. It is important, however, that they are light. In case you intend to do just that, you can opt for quail in a casserole, jelly quail, roast partridge and chicken with Mediterranean apricots.
Of course, you can harmonize your white wine only with hors d'oeuvres. For this purpose, you can prepare a salad with a dressing, including dock, spinach, nettle, lettuce and more.
Wines from albarinho can be combined with fruits, as those found in our latitudes are perfectly suitable. In addition, the grape elixir can be combined with sweet temptations, and if they contain dairy products, the effect will be even more pleasant. Some gourmets recommend drinking wine with different types of cake, cheesecakes or pastries.
