Match of the week

Gambas pil pil and albariño

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on September 23 2024 at 11:09

Albariño is a well-established pairing for seafood but in fact it was the seasoning rather than the prawns that made this combination sing.

I enjoyed it, admittedly, in the idyllic setting of the Chiringuito Tropicana restaurant overlooking the beach at Malaga which puts you in the mood to like practically anything in your glass but the Mar de Frades is a reliable brand that I knew my friends would enjoy.

The 2023 - a little fruitier than I remember - sailed right through the meal but was stood up particularly well to the gambas pil pil, the Spanish name for prawns cooked with olive oil, chilli and garlic. It was a really punchy version but didn’t throw the wine in the least. Albarino can carry strong flavours.

You can buy it from Tesco currently for £17 - not cheap for Tesco but a good price for the wine which generally sells for over £20 elsewhere.

And - whisper it - Aldi has just introduced an albarino in a cheekily similar blue bottle in their Baron Amarillo range for just £8.99 which is definitely worth a whirl if you’re an albarino fan.

For other albariño pairings see The best pairings for albariño (and alvarinho)

For other prawn and shrimp pairings see The best pairings for prawns or shrimp

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