“I love showing off expressions of native varietals with a sense of place and lots of ‘alma’ (Spanish for ‘soul’)”

— Winemaker April Cullom

Why wait for Friday night?! Start the weekend a day early with this delicious and refreshing Spanish white wine from Ribeiro.

Alma de Vino Mar y Montaña is made in Ribeiro, a wine region of Galicia, in the northwestern corner of Spain. Galicia borders the Atlantic Ocean and is mostly known for its crisp white wine, a perfect accompaniment to the abundant, locally caught, fresh seafood.
Ribeiro has a more inland location within Galicia and a unique climate, both atlantic and continental. The warmer air allows the fully ripened grapes to develop aromatic complexity while maintaining the freshness that Galician wines are known for.
In the local dialect 'ribeiro' means riverbank and water is a key element of the area with the best vineyards planted on the steep slopes of the four rivers that converge here.
Read more about D.O. Ribeiro at Grape Collective.

American born April Cullom is a Spanish wine expert and educator who has been involved in a love affair with Spain for 30 years. Her passion for the country’s wine and food led her to create a selection of Spanish wines under the brands Alma de Vino (Soul of Wine) and Casa Abril (April’s House Wine).
April’s favorite part of the winemaking process is coming up with her own blend. “At some point in the many hours and multiple versions of blends,” she says, “I feel somewhat like a DJ striving to achieve harmony with the bass and treble or like a chef, with spices and textures”.
April spends half of the year in Spain and the other half in New York City.

Alma de Vino Mar y Montaña 2016.

The wine is a collaboration between April and her close friends who happen to be third generation Ribeiro winemakers. Their vineyards are scattered in the hilltops above the Miño River.
The wine is a blend of five native varietals, of which Treixadura (the most widely planted grape in Ribeiro) is the base, followed by Torrontés, Godello, Albariño, and Loureira.
Tasting notes: Full-bodied and aromatic, this acid-driven wine is well-balanced with bright fruit and elegant floral notes. On the lingering, crisp finish, it delivers enticing hints of honey and melon.
True to its name, the wine is infused with the soul of Ribeiro. As April told me, “It’s meant to be enjoyed in good company over a fantastic and long meal.”