Let there be celebrations with Albariño

Last spring my wine travels took me on an Albariño pilgrimage to Galician wine country. It began when we (Carol and I) crossed into Galicia from Portugal.  Besides wanting to learn about Albariño we had heard and read so many good things about Galicia; so we just had to visit.  Albariño is native to the northwestern corner of the Iberian peninsula where it is planted both sides of Spain's and Portugal's border. When the grape is grown in Spain, it is called Albariño. Whereas in Portugal, it is called Alvarinho. In case you are wondering Albariño (Galician pronunciation [alβaˈɾiɲʊ]), or Alvarinho (Portuguese pronunciation  [alvɐˈɾiɲu]) meaning white, whitish, is a white grape variety. While there has been some discussion about its origin, recent studies suggest this grape is native to Galicia, Spain and nearby Portugal. 

Spaswinefood, Pazo De Señorans, Galicia © Spaswinefood

Often after my travels I come back with wines to celebrate. For me, planning for a celebration with Albariño wines, was inspired by visiting Galicia, and online research on food pairings. In the second part of this post I will highlight findings that will used to plan a dinner. 

Off to Galicia to Learn about Albariño 

First, let me introduce our Albariño discoveries at two Galician winery visits. Albariño constitutes more than 90 percent of the grapes planted in Galicia's Rias Baixas area. Given the climatic variation within the Rias Baixas DO there are different sub-regions and variations between vineyards, and of course across vintages. Our very first stop was at Pazo De Señorans, a gorgeous wine property in Rías Baixas DO.

1. Pazo De Señorans

Pazo Señorans © Spaswinefood

Here we would tour the property and do a wine tasting with the winemaker. This is a wine estate where women are engaged in all the winery's activities. 

Pazo Señorans © Spaswinefood

Most of their Albariño is grown on pergolas, and hand-harvested by female vineyard workers in September. After the tour we sat down with winemaker, Ana Quietly Suárez, to taste their award winning wines.

Wine Tasting, Pazo Señorans © Spaswinefood

It was a fantastic experience for us to be in the company of this winemaker.

Welcome to Pazo Señorans © Spaswinefood

Being introduced to the wines by the winemaker was so very special for us.

Pazo Señorans Wines © Spaswinefood

What welcome to Galicia it was! We had come to the best place to begin our wine explorations.

Pazo Señorans Wines © Spaswinefood

This wine tasting set a high bar for us to measure other Albariño wines against. 

2. Pazo Baión 

Fortunately we also visited Pazo Baión, one of Spain's top wine estates. Galicia's Pazo Baión, a unique wine property that dates back to the 15th century, when it was owned by the Lords of Sarmiento. If we were to journey through this property's history you will soon discover it has had periods light and darkness. Today this unique wine project provides insights into Galician culture, architecture and, of course, the very best Albariño wines. It is an expansive estate of 22 hectares. A single estate vineyard in a region that not known for single estate vineyards. It is a region that is made up of tiny holdings of grape growers, as the result of divisive inheritance laws. 

Pazo Baión © Spaswinefood

Through the Arches, Pazo Baión © Spaswinefood

We stopped to pick up some Albariño wines at the wine room before moving onto the inner courtyard. I choose to pickup some wines to add to my earlier collection. 

Pazo Baión Wines © Spaswinefood

By the way Pazo Baión wines get great reviews. Bodega Pazo Baión was an amazing find on our journey. 

My visits to Pazo De Señorans and Pazo Baión have inspired me to plan a celebration of Albariño wines. For the remainder of this post I highlight food pairing suggestions that I will use to plan a celebration Albariño wines. Rias Baixas, is the best known of Galicia's wine areas consists of five sub-regions (Val do Salnés, Ribeira do Ulla, Soutomaior, O Rosal, and Condado do Tea). Rías Baixas wine tends to be made entirely from the Albariño variety, which comprises over 90 percent of the region’s vineyards. Increasingly producers are experimenting with oak aging and malolactic fermentation. While there is a classic, overarching style of Albariño, each of the area’s sub-regions imparts a slightly different character to the wine. A very small amount of red wine is made from the varieties Caiño, Espadeiro, and Mencía.

Dining with Albariño Wines

Albariño wines are extremely food-friendly due to their high acidity and low alcohol profile. Albariño, pairs well with a wide range of foods. This grape variety is an excellent choice for basically anything from the sea. In fact Albariño pairs very well with seafood. Fish and shellfish pair well with Albariño, as do green herbs and salads. This high quality fresh white wine, with high acidity and citrus aroma, is ideal for pairing with fish and shellfish. It does well with ceviche, crayfish, whiting, prawns and other seafoods. Other Albariño food pairings include cheese, vegetarian dishes and in the case of meat dishes it pairs well with pork and chicken. As a general rule, serve Albariño with light to middle intensity foods (including, white meats and light-colored sauces) and especially with dishes that feature citrus and/or aromatic herbs. Given its high acidity and clean, salty flavors it does well with fresh salads, fish tacos and light and salty tapas! Indeed Albariño is good as an aperitif, with cheese, tapas and with many lighter dishes. 

Let's take a closer look at suggested Food Pairings.

Cheeses: Albariño will pair nicely with both hard and soft cheeses like Burrata and Manchego. Good cheese pairings are:

• Burrata / Mozzarella
• Brie
• Chèvre & other goat cheeses
• Feta
• Halloumi
• Gruyère :The crisp acidity and richness of the wine make it possible to pair with semi-soft cheeses like Gruyère.
• Garrotxa

Vegetable Dishes: Albariño is a great choice for many vegetarian dishes. The dry style pairs well with the following vegetarian dishes:

• Deep-fried vegetables
• Salads with salty cheeses, including chèvre and feta
• Asparagus with butter
• Ceasar salads
• Caprese
• Grilled vegetables
• Falafel
• Vegetarian risotto
• Bean stew
• Vegetarian tapas

Albariño is a great choice for different types of tomato soups, including gazpacho. Tomato soups can be made in many different ways with different seasonings, but they always have high acidity from the tomatoes. The acidity in the soup will match the high acidity in the wine.

Pastas: Albariño is one of the best wine choices for pasta dishes with seafood. Shrimps, clams or mussels in cream, olive oil or lemon juice goes very well with a glass of Albariño. Try the wine with pasta alle vongole!

Chicken and Other Meats: Albariño pairs well with lighter chicken dishes, especially if the chicken is seasoned with herbs, garlic and/or lemon. The acidity in the wine also makes it a good choice for chicken dishes with cream and/or white wine. Albariño's heavier and more full-bodied versions is a good option to go with pork dishes.

Desserts: When Albariño is sweet and dense it pairs perfectly with sour desserts, cream cheeses, chocolate. Sweet Albariño could also be served as an appetizer.

I am so ready to plan a celebration dinner with Albariño. Hopefully this post is helpful to others who would like to do so as well. For winelovers a vinous pilgrimage to discover Galician wine country is a must. I invite you to join me in my wine travels in Galicia, and elsewhere in Spain at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon, and at Spaswinefood on Twitter and Facebook. I am so looking forward to sharing more on my vine-filled explorations in Spain. 

Thanks Carol, Travels in Galicia © Spaswinefood

CHEERS!

Sharon 

Remembering May 2023

Galicia, Spain 

© Spaswinefood

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