We were out shopping for food but couldn’t help walk past the wine shelf. There we saw a wine from Languedoc made from the albariño grape.
Unusual!
It went straight into the basket. It cost 10 euros. It’s made by the excellent cooperative Les Vignobles Foncalieu. Albariño has been a permitted grape in France for a few years now but it’s not often you come across it.
Albarino was allowed in France in 2009, which we wrote about back then. (When we look back on the BKWine Magazine history, it sometimes seem as if we have written about everything…)
Sillages Albariño 2025, Les Vignobles Foncalieu, IGP Pays d’Oc
It’s lightly aromatic and floral, some citrus, quite light in the body but a certain fullness in the mouth, delicious, fresh and excellent value for money.
I take this opportunity to give a shout-out to IGP Pays d’Oc, wines from a huge area that encompasses all of Languedoc and Roussillon. These wines are often easy-going, unpretentious wines, in a good price range and without major pretensions other than being a pleasant wine that can be drunk outdoors and that does not require great effort or deep discussions.
Sometimes they are excellent, like this albariño.
Pays d’Oc is a good category if you are looking for a specific grape. The appellation has 58 approved grape varieties, more than any other AOP or IGP in France.
More info: paysdoc-wines
