Atlantic Spain 

As might be expected, wines made across Spain’s Atlantic regions, both whites and reds, tend to be cool and restrained, strongly reflecting the ocean-influenced climate. They are quite unlike their lush, ripe southern cousins, which mostly come from vineyards that are among the hottest, driest and sunniest in Europe. Conditions along Spain’s Atlantic coast often bear striking similarity to those of southern England and the wines reflect it.

Aside from Santiago de Compostela, with its stunning cathedral and amazing seafood; Bilbao, which has only recently attracted international visitors thanks to its deservedly hyped Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum; and San Sebastian, with its insane food scene, northern Spain is pretty much a wasteland of tourist destinations, much less of the vinous sort. Northwest Spain in particular has never been a great draw for American wine tourists. Not many Yanks, including those in the wine trade who have visited Rioja multiple times, have ever made the trek to Galicia, which is home to Rías Baixas, Monterrei, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro and Valdeorras. Even fewer have explored the León region, home to Bierzo, which is the most famous and best Denominación de Origen in northwest Spain for red wines.

Albariño is the most widely planted variety in Rías Baixas

Albariño and Rías Baixas: Spain’s Great White Hope?

The wines of Rías Baixas, which are overwhelmingly white and made from the Albariño variety (known as Alvarinho in Portugal, where it is commonly overcropped and used to make an ocean of mostly anonymous, easy-drinking Vinho Verde), have captured the attention of American wine lovers and professionals in a remarkably short span of time. It’s not hard to see why as the best examples are concentrated and vibrant, with intense, mineral-drenched citrus fruit character and alluring floral overtones. And the overall winemaking standard in the region is as high as any that I know in Spain. Rarely do the wines see any oak (and it’s seldom new when they do), which means that fans of German, Alsace and Loire Valley white wines will find plenty to love here. Judging by the steady increase in the availability and sales of these wines in the U.S., they already have.