Verdad Albarino Sawyer Lindquist 2011 750ml

Winery: Verdad

Varietal: Albarino

Spain and Portugal were always home to some fantastic quality white wine grape varietals, and amongst the finest is the Albarino. Thought to be a close relative of the French Savagnin grape, the Albarino varietal has been grown in Spain since the 12th century, and has always been revered by Spanish winemakers for its ability to produce white wines of exceptional quality and character. Typically, wines made from the Albarino grape are dry, with a light body and a lovely high level of acidity which cuts through the soft fruit flavors it carries. These grapes produce exceptionally aromatic white wines, and are generally associated with notes of apricot and peach. It often has a slightly bitter quality, as a result of its thick skins and large quantities of pips, but this merely adds to the balance and nature of the wine.

Region: California

When it comes to New World wine regions, it is widely agreed that many of the finest wines are grown and produced in California. The long stretches of coastline and the valleys and mountainsides which come off them are ideal areas for vine cultivation, and for over a century now, wineries have found a perfect home in the hot, dry state, with many of the wines produced here going on to reach world class status. The state is greatly helped by the brisk oceanic winds which cool the otherwise hot and dry vineyards, which hold mineral rich soils covering vast areas and featuring many established wineries. The state is split into four main regions, the largest by far being the central valley which stretches over three hundred miles in length.

Country: United States

For three hundred years now, the United States has been leading the New World in wine production, both in regards to quantity and quality. Wine is actually produced in all fifty states across the country, with California leading the way by an enormous margin. Indeed, as much as eighty-nine percent of all wines to come out of the United States are produced in California, where the fertile soils and sloping mountain sides, coupled with the long, hot summers provide ideal conditions for producing high quality, European style red, white and rosé wines. With over a million acres of the country under vine, the United States sits comfortably as the fourth largest wine producer in the world, where imported grape varietals from all over the Old World are processed using a successful blend of traditional and contemporary techniques.

Appellation: Santa Barbara

California is one of the New World's truly great wine producing countries, and within the state, there are few regions quite as enduringly popular or successful as Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara benefits from the fantastic sunshine the state is famous for, as well as the cooling and temperate Pacific Ocean winds which help to slow the ripening process and ensure the grapes which thrive there end up expressing more flavor and aroma in the bottle. The region itself is renowned for producing high quality and flavorful red wines, commonly made from classic French grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon. However, recent years have seen the wineries of Santa Barbara eager to experiment, and today several different red and white wine grapes are growing well in this beautiful region.