Albarino

This is an Albariño from Spain.  While I truly love many of the Albariños we are now seeing from California, its hard to justify spending that kind of money when Spain offers wines like this for $30.  Very light silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is mineral driven with a touch of wild thyme, salinity and maybe some crushed shells.  Light bodied.  Nice texture.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is dry.  The minerality continues and the crushed shell notes get louder.  Good finish.  This is refreshing on its own but better with food.  A great choice for grilled shrimp.  

California is making some very nice Albarinos these days.  At four years from vintage it might be worrying but this was sealed with a screw cap and the wine inside from fresh and bright.  Light green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with apples, peach and a stony minerality.  Medium bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is more about fruit and some minerality than its crisper Spanish siblings.  It is filled with ripeness and body.  Flavors of red apples and peaches.  Good finish.  This works very nice on its own and would work well with lighter foods.  A nic

This is a white wine from northwest Spain.  Light silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some grapefruit along with slight pineapple notes.  Medium bodied.  Tart acidity.  On the palate, there is refreshing tart lemon/citrus notes.  Good finish.  This is easy drinking and very food friendly for lighter foods.  Seafood would be a great match.  Drink over the next couple of years.  This winery buys up surplus juice from "top" producers around the world and packages the wine without revealing who the original producer is.  

Served at a wine store tasting.  This is nice but getting a bit long in the tooth at this point.  This is a nice white wine that has a bit of lemon/orange citrus and some minerality.  Refreshing.  Easy to drink.  Try to look for younger vintages.  

This is a crisp white wine from northwest Spain.  It is made from 100% Albarino grapes.  It sees 35% Large used oak barrels and the rest stainless steel.  Pale yellow gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemon/lime but also a slight papaya note with lots of minerality.  A touch of salinity on the nose.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, crisp acidity with a lovely texture.  Limes with a slight herbal note (chervil?) and mineral undertones.  Long finish.  This is a seriously great value in whites.  While I do like the California Albarino's, its hard to justify paying for them when Spa

An excellent take on Albarino from California.  The grape is normally found on the northwest coast of Spain where it makes crisp youthful white wines.  This one is a bit rounder.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has limes with a good bit of salinity.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, the limes come thru along with a nice minerality.  Crisp acidity.  Long finish.  The wine drinks well on its own but would be better with some salty and/or fried appetizers.  Drink over the next couple of years.  This is a bit pricier than its Spanish counterparts but this is as good or

The front label states this is a 50/50 blend of Arinto and Alvarinho.  This is a beautiful wine that seems to take Portugese whites, which are often inexpensive and lighter in style, to a more serious place.  At times, this can be a mistake with over zealous winemakers, but in this case, they pull it off admirably.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has peaches/nectarines, crushed shells, slight vanilla and spice, and a bit of lime zest.  Medium bodied.  Moderate acidity.  Silky texture.  On the palate, lemon/lime with some leaches.  A twang of lemon tartness comes thru on

Who knew they even grew Albariño in Michigan?  This is nice. Silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is steely with some hay and lemon.  Medium bodied.  Slightly Viscous.  On the palate, there is some residual sugar left making this at least semi-sweet.  Fruity on the palate.  Tasty and easy drinking.  Some lemon/orange on the finish.  A nice wine for sipping on its own and the back deck (or front porch).  Drink over the next few years.  

This has always been a favorite value wine.  Although the wine sees no oak, it spends four months on the lees leaving a creamy texture and notes that resemble oak.  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some vanilla, along with pears and lanolin.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, there is a nice green apple note with plenty of energy.  A bit of salinity on the finish.  This drinks well on its own and would pair quite well with shellfish.  Drink over the next few years.  

An interesting wine from a country not usually seen in the wine world (Uruguay) and a grape not usually tasted (Albarino).  Light golden in color with a slight copper hue.  The nose is all about minerality with some crushed shells, iron, diesel and sea air.  On the palate, this has a slightly oily texture.  Again, there isn't much fruit but plenty of minerality.  It is refreshing with good acidity.  It is a nice light wine that will make a good summer sipper with some soft cheeses on the back patio.  Drink over the next year.