makers in Australia have been supplying and selling wrongly labelled Albarino for over a decade. They thought they were pouring money into the market for the Spanish grape, but a French expert visiting Australia raised questions in 2008. DNA testing confirmed that the grapes are in fact French Savagnin, and almost all wine in Australia labelled as Albarino is Savagnin. Wine characteristics The grape is noted for its distinctive botanical aroma with a citrous undertone, very similar to that of Viognier, Gewurztraminer, and Petit Manseng, suggesting apricot and peach. The wine produced is unusually light, and generally high in acidity with alcohol levels of 11.5–12.5%. Its thick skins and large number of pips can cause residual bitterness. Viticulture For hundreds of years, Albariño/Alvarinho vines could be found growing around the trunks of poplar trees and in bushes along the outside margins of fields — a practice which some growers still use in Portugal's Vinho Verde region. In the middle of the century, however, growers made big investments and became professional grape growers. In Vinho Verde, the vines are typically trained on high pergolas, which encourages over-cropping, often leading to grapes that are unable to exceed more than 8.5% potential alcohol. When grown in a vineyard, the vines need to be wire trained with large canopies to accommodate the 30 to 40 buds per vine that is typical. The grape responds well to the heat and humidity though the high yields and bunching of clusters usually keep the grapes within the margins of ripeness. Synonyms Albariño is also known under the synonyms Albarina, Alvarin Blanco, Alvarinha, Alvarinho, Azal Blanco, Galego and Galeguinho. See also List of Portuguese grape varieties References Galicia (Spain) White wine grape varieties Grape varieties of Spain Spanish wine