Albarino: a classy white that deserves much more love

Stop me if you've heard me say this before, but here's my advice whenever you've got a chance to try a varietal or a region you've never sampled before: Take the bull by the horns -- or, rather, the glass by the stem -- and go for the gusto.

(Besides, I'd mentioned in my first blog that I'd focus on varietals, regions, and labels that routinely miss the attention of better-known wine mavens and publications. With that in mind, I went ahead and wrote about -- what else? -- California Cabs. Talk about my going back on my own word!)

Anyway, to stick with my original concept of writing about under-the-radar wines, I'll get going with one of my all-time favorite white varietals: Albarino. A white varietal that's native to both the Rias Biaxas region of northwest Spain and the Vinho Verde region of Portugal, it first came to our attention in early 2006 when The Better Half and I visited SecondEmpire (http://www.second-empire.com/) during a trip to Raleigh, N.C. Since we both were in an adventurous mood while we checked out SecondEmpire's wine menu, we both agreed upon a Spanish white with an exotic-sounding name and a mouth-watering description of its flavors. And while the '04 Albarino we'd had with our meal (I can't remember the wine's producer or label, to my regret) was still recovering from the final stages of bottle shock, its vibrant, distinctive scents and flavors of citrus, peach, passion fruit, and lime with a hint of "wet rocks" minerality really rang my bells. Since then, I've been on a mission to locate this crisp, intensely lovely and distinctive Spanish white.

Unfortunately, the chances of your local grocery store's stocking Albarino are about as good as being able to purchase the Brooklyn Bridge for a five-spot. That's why it's worth it to drive to your local top-flight wine shop and make a beeline to the "Spanish Whites" section. (With gas hovering around $3.50 a gallon, you might even want to ask a fellow wine fan to carpool with you, just in case you live a goodly distance from your nearest wine shop.) One positive trend of Albarinos is their increasing affordability: When TBH and I had our first sip of the varietal almost three years ago, it was often priced slightly north of $20. In October '08, however, a typical bottle of this shellfish-friendly white will now set you back $15 or a bit less. If that isn't good wine news, what is?

Here's one of my favorite Albarinos. If your local wine shop doesn't have it in stock, ask the buyer to see if he or she would consider including it as a regular item. (It's a worthy point. Truth be told, how many wine shops are overstocked on Albarino?) If the answer's no, be ready to special-order a case. Of course, you'll need to pay ahead of time, but you'll probably get the standard 10 percent discount on a case purchase.

LICIA 2005-06 ALBARINO/RIAS BIAXAS: ABOUT $14

100% Albarino. Long recognized as Spain’s major white grape, Albarino hails from Rias Biaxas, a region in the northwestern portion of the country. The varietal itself is one of the world’s most exotic and memorable, thanks to its complex aromas and flavors -– lemon, lime, apricot, peach, white pepper, ginger, and anise -– mixed with its intense acidity, its surprisingly full body, and distinctive “spritziness.” Not only does the Licia Albarino offer everything that makes this varietal so distinctive, it pulls everything together with elegance and balance. Since world-class Albarinos under $20 are about as common as Halley’s Comet, this bright (and totally affordable) star in the wine universe is one to relish. It’s an understatement to say it’s a natural with paella, mahi-mahi, shellfish, or poultry.

~ Cheers!