Scientists crack mystery of how Spain's prized albariño wine came to be
Written by Stephen Burgen in Barcelona
Study suggests grape was not brought from elsewhere, but cultivated from wild strain and has been in the region since Roman times
Myths, mysteries and legends surround the origin of albariño, widely regarded as Spain’s finest white wine, and how the grape from which it derives wound up in the far north-west of the country.
Now scientists at a research institute in Galicia have debunked theories that it originates in the Rhine valley or was brought by French Cistercian monks on pilgrimage from Cluny in the 12th century.
Related: Spain’s vineyards destroy record harvest as wine sales crash
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