Make your summer shine with Albariño wine
By Becky Ellis
Summer time is Albariño wine time! Our friends from Spain make this lovely crisp, refreshing wine for us to enjoy when the sun is high in the sky. Albariños are summer sunshine in a glass. Full of fresh fruit flavors – nectarine, peaches, grapefruit and lime to name a few, with a salinity in the finish that reminds us of the sea coast near where the Albariño wine grapes are grown. August 1, 2021 is National Albariño Day which just happens to be smack in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer and you know what that means – it will be HOT outside. So, let’s refresh ourselves with some fine Spanish wine!
Albariño is easy to find at your local wine shop or on-line and is a good value. You can find a delightful Albariño for $15 to $20. It is meant to be drunk young (within 16 months of harvest according to The Spruce Eats), so pop it into your refrigerator as soon as you get home so it will be nicely chilled for dinner tonight. Fire up your grill, fill your glass with chilled Albariño and let’s have a seafood fest right in your backyard!
Summer is an easy breezy time so foods paired with Albariño should be flavorful and almost effortless to prepare. The Spruce Eats recommends pairing this lovely Spanish white wine with fresh seafood, steamed mussels and shrimp risotto. The Matching Food and Wine website agrees that seafood is one of the best pairings with Albariño. Why seafood? They explain that this wine comes from the coast of Galicia in the Rias Baixas region of northern Spain. This region is known for it’s excellent fresh seafood.
Gwyneth Paltrow loves Spanish Food and she’s even written a cookbook on that subject “Spain…a Culinary Roadtrip”. She created a recipe for Little Neck Clams steamed with Albariño infused with garlic, bay leaf and Albariño for Food and Wine magazine. A recipe as simple and flavorful as this just screams SUMMER!
Looking for an easy yet flavorful grilled shrimp recipe to pair with your Albariño ? Once again, Ina is our girl…she always has the best recipes! Ina Garten’s Grilled Shrimp Kabobs are marinated in lemon juice, Dijon mustard and fresh herbs. Find the recipe on the food network website.
What would summer be without Sangria? How about a light refreshing sangria made with Albariño? Food Network has a recipe for a fresh fruity White Sangria. Combine this Spanish white wine with brandy, peach schnapps, fresh peaches, apples and oranges.
Are you ready to fire up your grill and pour a chilled glass of Albariño? Will you make your summer shine with this lovely Spanish white wine?