Wine of the month: Rias Baixas
The perfect crispy white for salty, hot summer days.
It’s summer, and during the summertime I’m a simple girl. I want the salty ocean. I want puckering tart margaritas. I want fresh seafood. And I want crispy, crispy white wine.
Thankfully, Rias Baixas is a wine meant for all of these things. It comes from a region on the coast, the tasting notes are citrus of every kind possible, it goes well with seafood, and it is best when it’s chilled to perfection.
Hence why I chose it as our wine of the month for July.
What region is this wine from?
Rias Baixas is a sub region within Galicia, also known as “Green Spain.” The name is fitting for the lush, green area that spans from the French border of the Basque country down to the northern tips of Portugal, the northwest corner of Spain that sits right on the Atlantic Ocean. The forests are dense, the beaches are tucked away among gorgeous cliffs, and the wine is crisp, light, and utterly wonderful.
In Spain, you’ll find the apppellations actually sit in multiple places rather than one concentrated area. (Cava is an appellation for sparkling wine and is approved to be made all around the country.) Rias Baixas can be found in multiple subregions, including Ribeira do Ulla, Val do Salnés, Soutomaior, Condado do Tea, and O Rosal. These are all areas along the coast, so coastal influence is the vibe—hence why we’re drinking it in the heat of the summer.
What grapes are in Rias Baixas?
Rias Baixas is made a majority with Albariño. Albariño is a grape varietal known for being loaded with citrusy. On the nose you’ll get citrus peel, citrus blossom, citrus pith, citrus juice…citrus. This grape also is popular in Vinho Verde, which is a region in Portugal that sits just south of Galicia. While Vinho Verde is lighter bodied, lighter ABV, and super fresh on the palate, Rias Baixas has a little more going on. The wine can feel a little more viscous and fatty on the palate. They don’t let it sit in oak or go through malolactic fermentation (a process where the lactic acid in wine converts to malic acid, making it feel smoother and creamer) to give them that fatty quality. Albariño already has a high amount of malic acid, making it feel a little creamier compared to super high acid white wines. If a winemaker were to use malolactic fermentation, the wine would lose its character and taste rather flabby.
While it is popular to find Rias Baixas with 100% Albariño, you can also find it made with a blend of grapes including Loureira, Treixadura, Caiño Blanco, Torrontés, and Godello.
What to pair with Rias Baixas
Seafood, baby! Galicia is well known for octopus, but really any fresh or fried seafood you can get your hands on will go well with a bottle of Rias Baixas. Oysters, grilled octopus, shrimp cocktail, seared scallops, lobster with loads of butter, clam bakes, fish tacos…really all of it. Like I said, it’s an ideal summer wine.
What wine did I snag? Plus, order your own!
With Rias Baixas on the mind, I decided to order a bottle of Lagar de Costa Rias Baixas Albarino 2024 out at Gertrude’s in Brooklyn when I dined there last week. I didn’t have it with seafood. (Gasp!) I enjoyed it instead with some a variety of pickled vegetables and eggplant schnitzel.
Here are a few other wines I picked out from Rias Baixas to enjoy! You can look for Rias Baixas specifically on the label, or an Albariño coming from the region.
Lagar de Fornelos Lagar de Cervera Albarino 2024. Buy here!
Orballo Albarino Rias Baixas, 2024. Buy here!
Granbazan Rias Baixas Albarino Etiqueta Verde. Buy here!
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Love Albariño! We had a really good one on my WSET2 course ‘Bodegas Chaves Ponte Da Barca Albariño’. Also it’s a grape I have my eye on to be grown in Cornwall UK at some point because we have similar climate/weather to Galicia!