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Albariño, a tough little émigré from the Northwest coastal region of Spain, is trying to make a home for itself in Aquebogue, on the North Fork of Long Island. To put it another way, Miguel Martin, the head winemaker at Palmer Vineyards, planted a field of Albariño vines and this spring released his first vintage of the crisp white wine.
Martin was born and educated in Spain, and before going off to work at wineries in California, Chile and Australia, he trained on the home turf of the Albariño grape. “My first job after university was in Galicia where moderate summer temperatures with occasional rain and fog produced flavorful and well balanced wines from the Albariño grape. When I moved to Long Island I was reminded of that weather and decided it was worth trying the grape here.”
Martin, in conversation, emphasizes the term microclimate when comparing North Fork weather to that of the Spanish maritime region of Galicia. He also points out that both places are known for amazing seafood—the perfect food pairing for what he describes as the “fresh, aromatic, bracing acidity and the near saline minerality” of Albariño.
Such enthusiasm is hard resist, so if you can find a bottle (total production was only thirty cases) don’t hesitate to buy it—and not just for the novelty. It’s terrific for summer in the Hamptons. Albariño, no matter where it is produced, should always be drunk young. You want freshness, vibrancy and a touch of tartness in your glass, and those lively scents (citrus, apple, grass and almond are characteristic) should be sharp and bright while you sip. Don’t wait until they start to fade. Albariño wines become much less remarkable once the bloom of youth is lost.
At least one other North Fork vineyard is now planting the grape, so we may be seeing more of it in the future. But Martin is the winemaker setting the standard. “This is my first vintage and the first commercial Albariño produced in the area, so I can only begin to establish a flavor profile for Long Island Albariño.” For wine drinkers in the Hamptons, his work is clearly the start of something delicious.
