Albarino grew from 64 to 75 hectares across Aotearoa New Zealand between 2023 and 2024. This is impressive in percentage terms but is absolutely dwarfed by the country's leading aromatic white wine grape, Sauvignon Blanc's 28,753 hectares. So, is Albarino worth watching for future success?
It's relatively early days with Albarino,, which came into New Zealand due to young winemakers, such as Beth Forrest of Forrest Estate in Nelson. She worked vintage in Rias Biaxas in Spain, falling for the aromatic charms, freshness and vibrancy of Albarino there and suggested it could potentially thrive in New Zealand.
The rest is history, which is still, clearly, in the making.
Albarino is growing in quantity and quality as well as popularity with both winemakers and wine drinkers and is widely seen as a promising grape variety and wine.
So, in a word, yes. It is worth watching. Hopefully it's worth watching for further growth rather than the same sort of flagging fortunes that so many other interesting white grapes seem to come to in this country. The majority of non-mainstream white grape varieties struggle to find a solid footing on the wine stage in New Zealand but Albarino's actual growth gives it ever semblance of a successful future, compared to, say, Arneis, Chenin Blanc, Marsanne or Roussanne. Gewürztraminer remains relatively static at 173 hectares but even Riesling, which still has 564 hectares of vines, is shrinking (sob; dry Riesling is a favourite of this writer, but I reluctantly acknowledge it's not everyone's cup of tea).
Like most great white wines, Albarino tends to put its finest foot forward in cooler climates, finding its best expression in areas where mornings are crisp, cool and even verging on chilly. Much of New Zealand could be described that way, which is probably why this grape appears to be making wines that shine in an impressively wide variety of different climatic zones, from Gisborne and Hawke's Bay in the North Island to Nelson, Marlborough and North Canterbury in the South Island. Like Albarino's original homeland in Rias Biaxas DO in north west Spain and , the climate in New Zealand is mostly maritime and relatively mild, which helps during spring bud burst when frost can be a big problem for Albarino. The flip side is that Albarino has thick skins, so it can weather the storm of high rainfall without collapsing in a heap. This helps in regions with high rainfall.
It's still early days for Albarino in New Zealand but the quality, style and price all make this a wine to watch moving forward. Most Albarino has not depended on oak for body, due to its natural textural qualities, so this reduces the need for the use of flash new oak, which could run roughshod over the fresh appeal of this grape variety. It also reduces the cost, although time on lees in stainless steel and even ageing in stainless can both allow the naturally high acidity to soften and mellow, deepening the appeal of the best Albarinos upon their release.
It would be remiss of me not to mention that Albarino is also as well as known in Europe as Alvarinho, which comes from the Vinho Verde region of northern Portugal. Top wines from there are exceptionally fresh, vibrant and benefit from similar maritime growing conditions as those just over the border in Spain.
The following top five New Zealand Albarinos are wines that have impressed my mind and palate over the past year, selected from a wider range tasted.
Six of the best Albarinos
18/20
2022 Astrolabe Kekerengu Albarino RRP $30
Astrolabe's first Albarino was made in 2013 from the evocatively named Sleepers Vineyard, a low river terrace of limestone and loam above the Kēkerengū River on the coast south of Blenheim. This crisp, cool climate is also the first to see bud burst, of all the vines that Astrolabe sources, and this wine benefits from the cool climate where its naturally high acidity is softened with partial malolactic fermentation and partial ageing in old French oak.
The result is an aromatic wine with a medium body and expressive fruit forward aromas. The Sleepers Vineyard is owned by Chris and Lynne Wilson.
18.5/20
2023 Forrest Estate Albarino RRP $28
The Southern Valleys in Marlborough bring warm days and cool nights to vines growing there, which translate into bold freshness and layers of aromatic appeal in this peachy, dry, weighty textural white wine. Flavours of ripe citrus and stone fruit lead into a wine with body which is balanced by refreshing high acidity, stretching out each sip to a long, memorable finish.
17.5/20
2023 Three Fates Hawke's Bay Albarino RRP $35
Three Fates is a new brand founded by Holly Girven Russell, Hester Nesbitt, and Casey Motley, who have produced an eye catching range in both look and in taste.
Floral and lemon aromas lead into a fleshy, citrusy fresh and medium bodied wine, which is made from hand picked grapes grown on .33 of a hectare vineyard (owned by the Noetzli family) in the Maraekakaho district of Hawke's Bay. Indigenous yeast and maturation for seven months in barriques and puncheons soften the bold acidity here and while this drinks well now, its youthful freshness suggests it can age well for at least three to four more years.
The artwork on the label is from a painting by Fane Flaws in the home of Holly Russell's winemaker father, Gordon Russell.
18.5/20
2023 Nautilus Albarino RRP $28.99
Nautilus Albarino is made in relatively small volumes by Clive Jones in Marlborough where winemaking at cool temperatures in stainless steel preserves the freshness and citrus, salty taste of Albarino. Brief ageing on yeast lees is typically three to four months, following fermentation, which adds a textural balance and weight to this impressive wine.
The 2024 Nautilus Albarino has also been released now and not yet tasted.
17.5/20
2023 Sheild Nelson Albarino RRP $26.99
Nelson's maritime climate and a small, sheltered vineyard in the Upper Moutere hills are the story of this excellent and piercing Albarino. Winemaker Trudi Shield builds layers of flavour into this wine which has aromas of lemon cordial, nuances of green olives and a hint of floral appeal, all of which intermingle in this Albarino. It offers excellent buying at this price.
17.5/20
2021 Tohu Whenua Matua Albariño RRP $19.99 to $23.99
Albarino is the next big thing in Aotearoa right now and this great example tastes like sitting on a beach under dappled sunlight on a warm day with a salty breeze blowing through - clean, bright and ever so slightly salty in a good way. This was the Champion Aromatic wine at the 2024 New World Wine Awards Top 50 under $25.
