There are some days when I read something that someone writes about albariño, that well, just leaves me scratching my head in puzzlement. For the purposes of this post there is absolutely no need to name name’s or to point accusing fingers, but simply read this and see if you agree.

“If you like Sauvignon blanc, you will love Albarino. It is like a red in white’s clothing. This is the most widely planted white grape variety in Spain. It is rich and full-bodied like a red wine but tart and crisp on the finish like a white.”

In all my year’s in the wine trade I have never heard of any white wine being described as a red in white’s clothing, let alone an albariño. Rich and full-bodied like a red? I really have no idea what this means, because in my opinion it’s certainly not accurate and possibly even misleading. Perhaps I am just living in the wrong universe, or maybe just speak a different (wine) language!

But thereby lies the problem. Sometimes a little knowledge in the wrong hands can be a dangerous thing, especially in the age of the internet where any individual can potentially have easy access to a large audience. Having said that, I am sure that this type of commentary is not unique to the wine business.