Jamie Goode

Treat your taste buds to fresh and food-friendly Albariño wines

Albariño, also known in Portugal as Alvarinho, is such an interesting white grape variety. It is capable of making wines with keen acidity as well as rich fruity flavours, spanning citrus to apricot, and doesn’t need any help from oak barrels.

It’s also good at growing in damp conditions that other grape varieties might find problematic. If you like dry, food-friendly whites with real personality, then Albariño is for you. Here are seven to try…

Morrisons The Best Alvarinho, Portugal, 12.5% alcohol, £9.50, Morrisons

This Portuguese Alvarinho is juicy and lively, with a touch of apricot and nice citrus and pear fruit. Linear and vivid, it’s a great modern expression of vinho verde.

Morrisons The Best Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain, 12.5% alcohol, £12, Morrisons

A really good example of Galician Albariño, with some pithy citrus fruit, really high acidity, and a twist of lime and grapefruit on the finish. This one would taste great with richer seafood dishes.

Albariño De Fefiñanes 2022, Galicia, Spain, 13.5% alcohol, £21.99, Waitrose

This Albariño, made from older vines, is a real treat. It shows lovely fruit, with peach and apricot richness as well as zesty citrus drive and good acidity. Complex, layered, exotic and fresh.

Altos De Torona Albariño, 2022, Rias Baixas, Spain, 13% alcohol, £14.99, Waitrose

Complex and lively with some mineral, smoky, spicy notes alongside racy citrus and pear fruit, alongside hints of apricot richness. A lovely Albariño.

Faustino Rivero Ulecia Albariño, 2022, Rias Baixas, Spain, 12.5% alcohol, £12, Asda

Packaged in a distinctive blue bottle, this is a really good example of this grape variety. It shows apricot and pear fruit with some lemony brightness, in a stony, linear dry style.

Mar De Frades Albariño 2023, Rías Baixas, Spain, 12.5% alcohol, £17, Tesco

Another wine packaged in an attractive blue bottle, this one is youthful and aromatic, with pear drops and some bright citrus. The palate is fresh and clean with lively lemon and lime fruit, and a tart refreshing finish with grapefruit pith and a slight saltiness.

Spier 1692 Albariño, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 13.5% alcohol, £11.99 (£9.99 mix six), Majestic

Bright, fruit-driven and linear, this really captures the essence of Albariño, with a core of citrus fruit, some green apple and then some apricot exoticism. Finishes with crisp acidity. Really bright with good concentration and fantastic focused fruit. Lovely weight and balance, with some spicy citrus at the end.