Spanish wines from the Rías Baixas – or ‘low rivers’
So, would you prefer a glass of Chardonnay or of Albariño?
A moment of hesitation, doubt, almost distress. ‘Er….. what was that second one?’
Everyone knows what Chardonnay is and where it comes from (anywhere grapes can be grown….), but the Albariño grape must be one of the wine world’s best-kept secrets. This is because most of the wine made from the grape stays in Galicia!
Actually, the Gallegos, as they call people from Galicia, have two unenviable reputations. The first is that they are incredibly mean and the second that they drink a lot!
It is difficult to prove or disprove the first, but as to the drink bit, well, this can be proved. Consumption of alcoholic beverages in the region is about three times higher than for the rest of Spain! Always having been an underprivileged (read poor) zone probably has something to do with it, since people without work tend to hang around bars, and providing they can draw their social security cheques, well……. draw your own conclusions.
Most aficionados of white wine consider the products of the Galician winemakers to be second to none. The climate does not encourage the production of much except dairy products, beef and white wine, and the region with which it has most in common, as far as viticulture is concerned, is probably the Moselle.
The Denominación de Origen Rías Baixas is relatively new, and the main area of production is centred around the towns of Pontevedra and Orense. Vineyards, while numerous, tend to be small, and currently the area has, within its 1,700 hectares, 150 bodegas and 130 brands. This despite there being only ten bodegas 30 years ago. Equally, the number of grape-growers has swollen from 500 to 5,000 but there is still not enough wine to satisfy demand.
What makes these wines so good is the Albariño grape. In the neighbouring Ribeiro wine area the grape is Alicante, infamous for its low alcohol and high acidity, but the Albariño has a roundness and quality which really is unique. The current worldwide desire for Chardonnay wines must be incomprehensible to Gallegos. This is because Albariños have always possessed that lack of acidity and depth of flavour which epitomises the great white wines of the world -without the necessity of introducing alien grape varieties in order to make the wines more acceptable to a wider public.
The bad news is that these wines are expensive. A good Albariño at under €6 a bottle is hard to find, and the more usual price is between €9 and €12.
Are they worth it?
Well, there is no doubt that this is a superior product, and at the same time the classical vinous accompaniment to shellfish. If you don’t believe me, try eating a plate of prawns, cigalas or langostinos with a white Penedes, and then with an Albariño. As the advert goes, you’ll taste the difference…….
When George Rainbird was writing his landmark book, ‘Sherry and the Wines of Spain’, 35 years ago, he did not consider it worthwhile even visiting Galicia. He did however acquire some of the wine, noting its grey colour and comparing it with the Portuguese vinho verde. The fact that some of the bottles he bought exploded in his car did not endear him to the wine, although he blamed the usual secondary fermentation in the bottle which was common then. Because of this the corks were tied down with string.
For better or for worse (usually the latter when it comes to preserving authenticity and fair prices), the big boys started moving into the area a few years ago. Fortunately the holdings are small, so no single vineyard is ever going to be able to produce a massive quantity of wine, and this limits the attraction for outside investors. The famed Rioja winery of Marqués de Murrieta landed in Galicia in 1991 and founded a new winery, Pazo de Barrantes. (The word pazo refers to the style of large house common in the area, and is roughly equivalent to a Bordeaux château). The vineyard is small, only 8 hectares, without any plans for expansion, but the wine is of a very high quality, and thanks to the parent winery’s distribution network, is available in most outlets…
So, if you are interested in Spanish wines then look out for then look out for the Denominación de Origen Rías Baixas and do try an Albariño…
