Albillo | |
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Grape (Vitis) | |
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Color of berry skin | Blanc |
Species | Vitis vinifera |
Also called | Albillo Real and other synonyms |
Origin | Spain |
Notable regions | Ribera del Duero |
VIVC number | 247 |
Albillo or Albillo Real is a white Spanish wine grape variety [1] planted primarily in the Ribera del Duero region, and also in Madrid, Ávila and Galicia. The grape has mostly neutral flavors with a light perfume aroma. It has a high glycerol index which confers smoothness to the wines.
It is sometimes added to the red wines of the Ribera del Duero for added aromatics. [2] The berries are of average size, round in shape and golden in colour. The grape bunches are generally small and compact. It is an early ripening variety and in central Spain is usually harvested in mid August.
It is an authorized variety in the Ribera del Duero region and one of the main varieties in the Vinos de Madrid DO.
The first written mention of Albillo is from the 15th century in Agricultura General by Gabriel Alonso de Herrera in which he says that the wine made from this variety is described as “very clear, with gentle color and taste”. He also states that the wine can be kept for quite some time but that it improves in quality if mixed with other varieties such as Cigüente, Moscatel or Hebén.
Simón de Roxas Clemente y Rubio, in Viticultura, published in the 19th century mentions the sweetness of the must. According to Alain Huetz de Lemps, the Albillo variety represented 36% of all vines planted in the Toro region in 1751, and was also found in Tierras de Medina, though not as much as the Verdejo variety. He also states that Albillo was to be found in the Rioja Alta, and that it was once used for making the traditional txacolí wine in the province of Vizcaya, though today that wine is made from the Hondarrabi Zuri grape.
Ampelographers once believed that the Sardinian wine grape Albaranzeuli Bianco, was a clone of Albillo. However, DNA profiling conducted on the grapes in 2010 confirmed that the two grapes were different varieties. [3]
Also in 2010, ampelographers using DNA analysis discovered a parent-offspring relationship between Albillo and the Italian wine grape variety Prié blanc which was growing in the Ávila province under the name Legiruela but it is not yet clear which grape is the parent and which grape is the offspring. [3]
Albillo is also known by other names: Albilla, Albillo de Cebreros, Albillo de Madrid, Albillo de Toro, Albillo Castellano, Blanco del País, Castellano, Gual, Hoja Vuelta, Nieves Temprano, Pardillo, Abuela, Acerba, Acerva, Albarin blanco, Albil Prado, Albilo Kasteliano, Albillo blanco, Albillo blanco fino, Albillo Cagalon, Albillo Castillian, Albillo de Granada, Albillo de Huebla, Albillo de San Jeronimo, Albillo Dorado, Albillo Prado, Albillo Peco, Albillo Peco de Trebugena, Albillo Real, Albillo Temprano, Albillo Verdal, Albuela, Alvilla, Alvillo, Arvilla, Besto Maduro, Blanco Castellano, Blanco Pais, Blanco Ribera, Blanco Rivera, Cagalon, Cepa Canasta, Cepa de Lena, De Lena, Hogazuela, Hogomela, Nives Temprano, Ojo de Liebre, Pardillo de Albillo, Picapol, Prolifera, Temprano de Campo Real, Temprano de Mora, Uva de Lena, Uva Pardilla and Verdaguilla. [1]
There are total of five grape varieties with 'Albillo' as part of their name: Albillo de Albacete, Albillo Krimskii, Albillo Mayor, Albillo Real, and Albillo Real de Granada. Of these, only Albillo Real is referred to as simply Albillo.
Albillo is also used as a synonym for the Spanish grape variety Pardina. [4] Albillo Negro is one of Tempranillo's many synonyms.
Carignan is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterranean and around the globe. Along with Aramon, it was considered one of the main grapes responsible for France's wine lake and was a substantial producer in jug wine production in California's Central Valley but in recent years, it has been reborn as a flagship wine for many cellars in the south of France as well as in Catalonia.
Tempranillo is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano ("early"), a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. Tempranillo has been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since the time of Phoenician settlements. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's noble grape. The grape has been planted throughout the globe's wine regions.
Palomino Fino is a white grape widely grown in Spain and South Africa, and best known for its use in the manufacture of sherry. It is also grown in the Douro region of Portugal where it is used for table and fortified wines.
Airén is a variety of Vitis vinifera, a white grape commonly used in winemaking. This grape is native to Spain where it represents almost a quarter of all grapes grown. As of 2017, Airén was estimated to be the world's fourth most grown wine grape variety in terms of planted surface, at 252,000 hectares, an increase from 218,000 hectares in 2004, where it held 1st place, although it is almost exclusively found in Spain.
Ribera del Duero is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) located in the country's northern plateau and is one of eleven 'quality wine' regions within the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also one of several recognised wine-producing regions to be found along the course of the Duero river.
Castilian-Leonese cuisine refers to the typical dishes and ingredients of the region of Castile and León in Spain. This cuisine is known for its cooked dishes (guiso) and its grilled or roasted meats (asado), its high-quality wines, the variety of its desserts, its sausages (embutidos), and its cheeses.
Torrontés is a white grape variety, mostly produced and known in Argentina, producing fresh, aromatic wines with moderate acidity, smooth texture and mouthfeel as well as distinctive peach and apricot aromas on the nose. Three Torrontés varieties exist in Argentina: Torrontés Riojano, the most common, Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino. It is primarily Torrontés Riojano that has received attention for the quality of its wines, and is the variety used for most Argentine wines simply labeled Torrontés.
Rueda is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the Community of Castile and León. It comprises 72 municipalities, of which 53 are in the province of Valladolid, 17 are in the north of the province of Segovia, and 2 are in the north of the province of Ávila. It is one of Spain's leading wine regions, and is known primarily for its white wines based on the Verdejo grape.
Arribes is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the southeast of the province of Zamora and the northeast of the province of Salamanca, along the border with Portugal on the banks of the River Duero.
Cayetana blanca, also known as Cayetana or Jaén, is a white Spanish wine grape. It is grown mainly in the south of Spain, especially in Extremadura and in the Jerez region where it is distilled for use in brandy production.
Uva Tosca is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Emilia-Romagna region of east-central Italy, where it is the only grape variety able to grow in the higher elevations of the Val Secchia area. Despite what its name may allude to, ampelographers have little evidence to believe that the grape originated in Tuscany or has any close genetic relationship with the notable Tuscan wine grape, Sangiovese, that is also known under the synonym of Uva Tosca. In 2010, DNA analysis suggested that Uva Tosca may be a natural crossing between the Alto-Adige wine grape Schiava Grossa and Crepallocchi.
Valtiendas is a Spanish geographical indication for wines referred to legally as Vino de calidad con Indicación Geográfica. This is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen quality wines and one step above the less stringent Vino de la Tierra table wines on the quality ladder.
Albaranzeuli bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in Sardinia. Ampelographers use to believe that the grape was originally Spanish in origin and was introduced to the island when it was ruled by the Crown of Aragon. Recent DNA profiling has suggested that the grape may have originated on the island as a crossing between the red Sardinian wine grape Girò and the Spanish table grape Molinera, known locally as Pansa Rosa di Málaga and distinct from the Veneto wine grape Molinara that is used in Amarone. A pink skinned grape known as Albaranzeuli nero is also found in Sardinia but its exact relationship to Albaranzeuli bianco is not yet clear.
Besgano bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety that was historically used in the production of the dessert wine Vin Santo, blended with Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Verdea, but today is rarely planted and is more often used for table grape production than winemaking. The grape is also known as Colombana bianca but it is not a color mutation of the Tuscan and Emilia-Romagna wine grape Colombana nera.
Caíño blanco or Cainho branco is a white Spanish and Portuguese wine grape variety that is grown in northwest Spain and northern Portugal in a stretch of area between Vinho Verde and the Denominación de Origen (DO) of Rías Baixas. The grape is often confused for Albariño and in Vinho Verde it is sometimes known under the name Alvarinhão. While DNA profiling conducted in the early 21st century has shown that the two grapes are distinct varieties, the evidence has suggested that Caíño blanco maybe an offspring of Albariño from a natural crossing with the red Portuguese wine grape Azal tinto.
Termarina rossa is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The grape is unique among Vitis vinifera varieties in that it is naturally seedless. Historically Termarina rossa was grown in the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia for use in production of jams and saba, a sweet syrup, made from boiling the must but today it is used as a blending variety in some of Indicazione geografica tipica (IGT) wines of the area.
Prié blanc is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown almost exclusively in the Valle d'Aosta DOC of northwest Italy. The Valle d'Aosta varietal wine Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle is made from Prié blanc grapes.
Forastera is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown on the islands of Ischia and Procida off the coast of Naples in Campania. In the early 21st century, DNA analysis confirmed that the Spanish wine grape variety of the same name grown in the Canary Islands is a completely different and distinct variety with no close genetic relationship to the Italian Forastera.
Barbera del Sannio is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Campania region of southern Italy. Despite the similarities in name and appearance, the grape has no close genetic relationship with the Piedmont wine grapes Barbera or Barbera bianca or the Sardinian wine grape Barbera Sarda and is, instead, more closely related to the Campanian varieties Casavecchia and Catalanesca and the Apulian grape Nero di Troia.
3 Riberas is a Spanish geographical indication for Vino de la Tierra wines located in the autonomous region of Navarre. Vino de la Tierra is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen indication on the Spanish wine quality ladder, and mirrors the Vins de pays of French wine. It acquired its Vino de la Tierra status in 2018.