Refresh your Palette with Rias Baixas Albarino

This weekend our World Wine Travel group  (#WorldWineTravel) hosted by Linda of My Full Glass takes us through Northern Spain in the wine region of the Rias Baixas.  I had the pleasure to be part of a virtual journey with suitcases packed and Albarino in hand to Rias Baixas.  I always enjoy covering this region and exploring some different styles of Albarino.  Rick Fisher, a Spanish Wine Scholar Guild instructor, has frequently traveled through the Rias Baixas and shared his experience and information on the land, cuisine and wineries.  Let’s dig in!

The Region

Riax Baixas is a smaller wine region in Galicia in the northwestern corner of Spain.  The name Rias Baixas actually means lower estuaries in Galician.  There are a number of inland river valleys that run through this area.   The total land under vine is over 10,000 acres occupied by about 179 wineries and 6 coops.  It’s a land dominated 99% by white grape varietals with Albarino occupying 96% of it so it’s definitely the king of the land.  

The Romans brought vines and winemaking to the area over 1,000 years ago.  Most of the vines are on the valley floor at sea level up to about 1,000 feet.   The vines create a pergola style, or “parras” as they call them, that are tied to stone columns that allow the grapes to get the most sunlight exposure and good ventilation so they aren’t prone to mildew.  The soils of the area are mostly made of granite with a gravelly, sandy top soil known as “xabre” that is rich in minerals and iron. 

The Wines

Albarino is a grape that is thick skinned, which helps protect it from the wet climate that is very much present in the Rias Baixas.  The wines show high acidity with floral aromas and notes of peach, citrus and grapefruit.    

Rias Baixas consists of 5 subzones, two of which we are covering today including the Val do Salnes and Condado do Tea.  What I loved learning about the wineries of Rias Baixas is that 50% of the winemakers are women and 2 of the wines today were women winemakers from Fillaboa and Martin Codax.  

2020 Senorio de Rubios Robalino Albarino – Located in the Condado do Tea subzone close to the
Mino river.  The winery has been around for over 100 years and occupies small plots of vineyards.  This and all 3 wines today are made from 100% Albarino.  Brilliant straw colored.  When I poured the wine in the glass a strong grassy scent whaffed out of the glass along with florals and tropical fruits.  This was my favorite of the three and most likely because I love that grassy characteristic in wines that reminds me of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  On the palate citrus including lemon and grapefruit with a hint of peach lingered with a tingly finish. ABV 12.6% SRP $19

2020 Fillaboa Albarino – Another winery located in the Condado do Tea subzone, but a very different style compared to the last as this wine was aged 6  months on the lees lending a whole different mouthfeel to it.  Fillaboa covers over 180 acres with this wine blended from 8 plots of their land.  This wine was straw colored with green hues. The aging with the lees was noticeable to me from the start as I picked up a yeastiness on the nose as well as the finish.  In the glass it the wine showed a slight frothiness from bubbles around the edges although none were present. A very different wine from the other two showing more ripe tropical fruits with a rounder mouthfeel and balanced.  ABV 13% SRP $20

2019 Martin Codax Albarino  - This is one of the 6 coops of Rias Baixas made up of over 300 growers.  It is located in the Val do Salnes subzone located right along the sea.  Due to the influence of the sea the area is temperature controlled and a salinity quality can be found in the wines.  Straw colored this wine was crisp and dry on the palette showing lots of citrus from lime to lemon pith.  Straightforward and resfreshing.  ABV 12.5% SRP $15.99

Join us live on Twitter this Saturday @ 11am EST at #WorldWineTravel and learn more about this beautiful region.  Follow my fellow food and wine lovers as they share their perspective on the Rias Baixas with some scrumptious food pairings. 

• Steve at Children of the Grape shares Troubadours, Love, and Wine.
• Terri at Our Good Life discusses One Grape: Three Unique Experiences with Albarino.
• Andrea at The Quirky Cork writes about Albariño and Bacon: A Love Affair.
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest recommends A Region and Wine You Must Explore: Rias Baixas and Albariño.
• Jeff from Food Wine Click! shares A Tale of Two Rias Baixas Albarinos.
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm talks about My Virtual Trip to Rias Baixas.
• Allison and Chris at ADVineTURES discuss The White Wines of Rias Baixas.
• Nicole from Somm’s Table shares It’s Raining Rias Baixas.
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla pairs Sopa de Cebolla + 2020 Fillaboa Albariño.
• Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog talks about Bodegas Zarate; Setting the Standard for Rias Baixas Albarino – Then and Now.
• David at Cooking Chat pairs Pan Seared Sea Bass with Albariño.
• Melanie from Wining with Mel takes a Wine Romp Through Rias Baixas in Galicia, Spain.
• Rupal from Syrah Queen has Your Passport To Rias Baixas – Explore Three Incredible Albarinos.
• Susannah at Avvinare posts Rias Baixas – Green Spain Entices.
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares From California’s Camino Real to Galicia’s Camino de Santiago: All Aboard for Albariño 2!
• Liz at What's In That Bottle? says Pack Your Bags: We're off to Rias Baixas for an Albariño Adventure.
• Linda, your host, from My Full Wine Glass offers 5 Things that Might Surprise You About Rías Baixas, Home of Albariño.

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.