Wine of the Week: 2018 Soalheiro “Allo” Loureiro Alvarinho

As we await the Trump administration’s decision on whether to impose 100 percent tariffs on all European wines, it’s a good time to stock up on said bottles. For a good everyday white, it’s hard to beat this racy white from the Minho region of northern Portugal, just over the border from Spain’s Galicia region.

Soalheiro was one of the first alvarinho (the Portuguese name for albariño) brands in the Vinho Verde subregion of Monção and Melgaço. The Allo is a blend of alvarinho and loureiro (al-lo), with the latter being the dominant grape.

It’s a zingy, bone-dry wine with alcohol of just 11.5 percent. The flavors tend toward apple and pear, with a lemony note, and the wine has a nice fleshiness that I didn’t expect in such a low-alcohol wine that’s also dry.

The Allo retails for about $15. I’ve been buying it at my local Costco (Santa Cruz) for even less.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.