Rías Baixas Albariño Wines

WHO:	A friend (B.) & me – Cheryl Slocum
WHAT:	Lunch paired with two Rías Baixas Albarinos: Adegas D’Altamira Brandal Barrica 2006; As Laxas Albariño 2008
WHERE:	At a table for two at DBGB – Daniel Boulud’s latest eatery on New York City’s lower eastside.
WHEN:	The perfect time: Mid-Summer.

Ok, so who could complain about a set up like that?  Well, no one I care to hang around with – which is why my friend B was the perfect dining companion – she is easy going, uncomplicated, and it is always a great day when we get together – sounds like I just described my feelings about Albariño too.

We started by sipping each of our wines, sans food, just to get acquainted with them – before the relationship started to get complicated… (I am talking about the wine).

The Brandal, is finished in oak, something that is gaining popularity among some of the Albarino producers. I am an old fashioned kind of girl, but I kept an open mind. I liked the way it started: a fresh aroma and a note of pear.  This wine had a richer presence than I usually think of for an Albariño.

As Laxas showed up with a distinct personality - bright and fresh and that crisp mineral finish that I am SO in love with and brings me right back to the time I visited magical Galicia where the lush green terrain meets up with the Atlantic Ocean.

I ordered Tuna Crudo - a lovely dish of buttery little cubes of tuna with a slightly spicy harissa sauce, cucumbers and radish.  The As Laxas brightened up even more against the fish. And this lovely little wine stood up well against the heat in the sauce.

My friend started with a Chilled Cucumber Soup. Here, both wines were great. And this is where I discovered that the Brandal and its light oak personality were better when paired with this dish than alone –the finish softened and complimented the food beautifully.
The wines were just as satisfying with our entrees. I ordered Skate au Pistou perfectly cooked and bathing in an herby basil broth with a lightly salty flavor from Nicoise olives. The chef also prepared this dish with artichokes, Tarbais beans, and tomato. The As Laxas was not as strong and characteristic with the skate, and maybe it just didn’t go with all of the components of this dish. But I made another discovery: as the meal had progressed, the wine had further developed its melon undertones and had become even more lovely than when we had started.

And here is what we decided about the Brandal – it needs the food. It worked so well with my friend, B’s dish: Lemon & Rosemary Roasted Chicken.  This dish was served with a Provencal ratatouille and roasted garlic. The Brandal sang to us paired with the chicken and especially alongside the vegetable stew. The garlic, however, posed a problem. It started out wonderfully with the Brandal, but turned very bitter in the finish. So, note to self: no Brandal and roasted garlic dishes, but otherwise, it was nice to find the way this wine should be appreciated.

So, for me, my relationship with these wines can be described like this: The As Laxas was love at first sight. Sure, there were a couple of bumps here and there, but love is blind. And the Brandal – that one is a bit like the little elementary schoolboy who pulls your pigtails but you end up going steady with in high school. That relationship took a little more time to develop, but guess I was playing hard to get.

And yes, B and I enjoyed dessert, but we didn’t kid ourselves about trying to match up these wines with what we ordered – a delicious Hazelnut Bittersweet Chocolate Cake. But that’s ok.  We needed cappuccinos; it was time to go back to work.

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