Photo by VIVC - Vitis International Variety Catalogue
Description
Albariño is the white grape of Galicia's Rías Baixas, and over the border in Portugal's Vinho Verde region it goes by Alvarinho. It comes from the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula and has no known parents. The bunches are small and the berries small to medium, so yields are modest. In return you get fine, aromatic white wines with apricot-like fruit and lively acidity.
Characteristics
White wine grape; small bunches with small to medium berries; seeded; moderate vigour with a spreading growth habit; modest yields; mid-season ripening; aromatic wines with good acidity; low susceptibility to grey rot
Growing Tips
Albariño needs long pruning (canes rather than short spurs) to crop properly, because it is not a heavy bearer. Its shoots spread sideways, so train and tie them carefully to the trellis. It does best on acidic, granite or sandy soils. Thanks to its low susceptibility to grey rot it copes better than many whites with a humid, Atlantic-style climate.