Welcome to Wine 102, a deeper dive into some of the less common varietals you see on store shelves or restaurant wine lists. Next up on deck is Albariño.

Hailing from primarily Spain and Portugal (where it’s known as Alvarinho), Albariño makes lively, fruit forward yet aromatic white wine, with racy acidity, and a penchant for stone fruit, citrus,melon, and touches of flowers.  As a result, it’s also a wine best consumed young, when it’s fresh and vibrant. Planted primarily in Rías Baixas, Albariño also has an occasional penchant to have a flavor of kiwi, which interestingly enough, was one of the main crops planted in the area preceding being supplanted by the vineyards that arrived in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

While Albariño helped to put Spain on the map for white wines, it’s also a primary player in Portugal’s Vinho Verde.  While the name suggests this wine is ‘green’, it actually refers to the youth of the wine, not the age.  These wines, like those from Rías Baixas, are meant to be consumed young, and tend to have soaring acidity, lots of citrus, minerality, and, compared to Rías Baixas’ Albariño, an extremely affordable price point.

While these two players do make up the vast majority of Albariño, and make up well over 90% of all the Albariño grown, it doesn’t mean it’s not grown elsewhere. California in particular has made strides.  Australia also looked poised to make great strides for the grape as well, until further testing revealed that the vast majority of Australian Albariño was in fact, not Albariño, but rather, the French grape Savagnin (which is actually more closely related to Gewürztraminer).

Quick Facts on Albariño:

Color: White
Style: Dry
Body:  Light to Medium
General Characteristics:  Peach, Citrus, Honeysuckle, Kiwi
Notable Regions:  Rías Baixas (Spain), Portugal

While it’s not Rías Baixas, California has good talent for making wine.  How does Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Albariño 2014 compare to the more established regions?

Sight:  A moderate to deep yellow, bordering on gold from edge to edge.

Smell:  A delightful amount of honeysuckle, melon, and meyer lemon all present themselves willingly.  There’s a certain degree of musky nature mixed with some warm floral notes that come into play.  The nose is semi-tropical in nature with kiwi and pineapple in play.

Sip:  While the mouthfeel is bright, to start out with, it’s also surprisingly round.  There are great citrus notes here, with lots of clementine and lemon mixed with some underripe pineapple.  The character really bounces between ripe citrus and underripe tropical fruits while being very vibrant.

Savor:  The ending is quick, but has a good touch of lemon and pineapple on the way out.

Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Albariño is delicious, and a slightly more warm climate of what Albariño can be.  The mix of bright lemon and orange with hints of tropical fruit is alluring.  The round feeling of it around your tongue contributes to the inviting nature, while the acidity make it a good pairing for a lot of fish, poultry, and other foods.  If you’re looking for a good albariño, then Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Albariño is a great choice.

Verdict:  Bright, Lemon, Tropical, Round
Price: $8.99
Paso Robles, California
Looking for the last vintage?  Check out the 2013 over at Wine Rabble