This week, we're sipping on Albariño. If you haven't tried Spanish white wine yet, Albariño is a good starter wine. We usually drink Paco and Lola Albariño, which has a nice lime tartness. But, today, our wine gurus suggested a slight "upgrade." We put down our polka dot-labeled wine and picked up the fancier, dark green-and-gold Laxas Albariño 2009.
Albariños predominantly come from Rías Baixas in the northwest region of Spain known as Galicia. In fact, the As Laxas winery was one of the first to be awarded the Rías Baixas designation of origin. If this all sounds like gibberish, don't worry. Basically, it just means it's good.
The As Laxas winery ferments the grapes in stainless steel tanks, producing a light, citrusy wine. We paired it with tuna ceviche, but it would also be good with a summer salad or white fish. The lime in the ceviche brought out the lime flavors in the wine, while the minerality left our mouths feeling clean. The only other thing we needed was to be in Spain enjoying our seafood and Albariño.
Albariños are usually not too expensive. But if the Laxas Albariño is too pricey, try either the Paco and Lola or the Martin Codax Albariño. Both are delicious and less than $15 at Spec's.
