(Bob Gregg, 10:59 pm) (Posted to: Main, Wine)
2007-11-10: Airén
A quick note about the Airén grape - apparently it’s one of (if not the) most prolifically grown grapes in Spain, though hardly the most promising. Mostly used in bulk wines, I found it on the shelves of the local Giant grocery store in the form of Oroya White 2005, which is a blend of 60% Airén, 30% Macabeo (itself used in the production of Spanish Cava), and 10% Muscat. The muscat provides a sort of sweet aromatic element to the blend. The subtitle on the bottle says, “Created for Sushi”. I guess I could see that, though I found the overall combination to be a little too sweet for my taste. At $7, this was a one-time buy, indulged only for the sake of trying the Airén. Hopefully I’ll be able to find another, better representative during our upcoming trip to Spain.