Albariño Day Date in the current year: August 1, 2024

Albariño (Spanish) or Alvarinho (Portuguese) is a white wine grape variety native to the Iberian Peninsula. It was originally thought that Albariño was brought to Iberia by French monks but recent studies indicate that this grape variety is actually native to the peninsula. It has been grown in Galicia and Portugal since the 12th century.

For a long time, Albariño was used primarily for blending. Varietal white wines made from Albariño began to gain popularity in the 1980s, when their production was established in the Rías Baixas DO of Spain and the Vinho Verde DOC of Portugal. Today, the principal producers of Albariño are Galicia and the Portuguese municipalities of Melgaço and Monção. The grape is also grown in Uruguay and the United States (California, Oregon and Washington).

Albariño wines most closely resemble Gewurztraminer, Petit Manseng, and Viognier. They are very light, refreshing, and usually high in acidity and medium in alcohol content. These wines have a distinctive botanical aroma with the notes of apricot, honeydew, nectarine and peach, and citrus undertones (grapefruit, lemon zest and lime). Due to the thick skin of the grapes, Albariño wines may have a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Albariño has been nicknamed “the wine of the sea” due its coastal vineyards and high compatibility with fish and seafood, for example, clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, white fish, seafood risotto, ceviche, seafood tapas, sushi, caviar, pasta with clam sauce, etc. It also pairs well with light meats such as poultry, soft and semi-hard cheeses (burrata, feta, gouda, manchego), grilled vegetables, fresh vegetable salads with green herbs, and pesto sauce.

Albariño Day is celebrated during the annual Albariño festival (Festa do Albariño) held in the Galician municipality of Cambados that is famous for its Albariño wine. The festival was born out of a friendly challenge between Bernardino Quintanilla and Ernesto Zárate to determine the best wine of 1952. The competition took place in 1953, and the inaugural Albariño festival was held a year later.

Nowadays, the Albariño festival is celebrated during the week leading up to the first Sunday of August, so Albariño Day always falls at some point during the festival. A major tourist attraction in Galicia, the festival draws about 150,000 attendees and features wine tastings, food stalls, musical performances, exhibitions, workshops, parades, fireworks, and other entertainment.

Of course, the best way to celebrate Albariño Day is to attend the festival, but if you can’t make a trip to Spain, you can find other ways to join the celebration. They include buying a bottle of Albariño and sharing it with a friend, attending a wine and food pairing class or a wine tasting event near you, and spreading the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtags AlbariñoDay and #InternationalAlbariñoDay.