Albariño, Alvarinho, It's All Good

Hey, it's 8:30 in the evening and I still haven't had dinner, but I looked in the fridge just now and found a bottle of Albariño that the Martin Codax people sent me last week. And damn, that's a fine drop.

Martin Codax (the name has all sorts of accents that I'm too lazy to reproduce) was a poet and court composer in 13th Century Spain (hence the lute on the label). This particular Albariñocomes from Gallicia; in Portugal, the same grape is called Alvarinho. Either way, the name is supposed to come from the words alba (white) and Rino (from the Rhine), the theory being that German monks brought the grape to the Iberian peninsula.

Grown in the Rias Baixas in the northwest corner of Spain (and along Portugal's northern border), Albariñogrows on trellises that elevate the grape to prevent rotting. The result is a highly aromatic, straw-yellow wine that has flavors of apples and tropical fruit, with a touch of herbal notes. It would be perfect with shellfish, if I had any shellfish in the fridge, but no, just one bottle of Albariño.

The Martin Codax sells for about $15. For the usual disclaimers, read this blog's footer.