D’Amato & Szabo: Wine Thieves – Season 2, Ep 2: Rias Baixas: The Secret of Salinity in Wine

 

Wine Thieves season 2 ep. 2: Secrets of Salinity in Wine & the origins of Albariño. This is part two of a five-part series on the Wine of Rias Baixas, where we remain in the Salnés valley sub-zone and speak with Diego Rios, the Chilean winemaker in charge of regional reference, Granbazán. We get to the bottom of the mysterious origins of albariño with Diego, the most widely planted grape in Rias Baixas today. Germanic tribes? Cistercian monks travelling the Way of St. James? or Roman foragers? Find out in this episode.

 

Saltiness in wine is a strangely recurring theme on Wine Thieves, and we also look more deeply in this episode into its causes. Is it real? Or perceived? A trick of the other senses joining together to create the impression, or a bona fide dose of sodium? Does the terroir of Rias Baixas itself contribute to the perception of salinity? We discuss such riveting angles as sodium deposits on grapes, absorption through soils into vines, and even how the canned fish food industry might play a role… As always, “further study in this field is recommended”. So grab a glass of salty coastal Albariño from Green Spain, maybe some razor clams or pulpo a la gallega, and join Sara and John on this adventure into the past and future.