We are big fans of albariño here. Like Marlborough sauvignon blanc, it has succeeded in a competitive market while still selling for a relatively high price. You don’t see many Rías Baixas under €10. It is worth noting that the overall standard is quite high too.Last year, martyr that I am, I tasted my way through 16 albariños for an Irish Times article. I tasted some brilliant wines, but perhaps not surprisingly, most of the best wines cost €20 and some substantially more. The majority were available only from independent wine shops and off-licences. So, this year, martyr hat donned once more, I concentrated on less expensive wines, all costing under €20 and all from the multiples, so they should be widely available. I tasted 15 wines. Overall, I found the standard was pretty high. There were one or two sweetish wines and a few that lacked concentration, but most were clean, fresh and fruity and offered good value for money.Albariño is the grape and Rías Baixas the region. From a cool maritime climate, the wines have a lovely freshness. They certainly suit the Irish taste for fruity unoaked white wines. Locally, the Gallegos would drink these wines with copious amounts of shellfish and other seafood, including octopus. However, albariño goes very well with a range of foods, and would be a good choice for parties – including weddings, if you can afford it. The four wines below were my favourites of this year’s 15, but it was a close-run thing. I tasted very decent wines from Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Dunnes, Lidl, Aldi and more. I was concerned that some were from the 2024 vintage rather than 2025, but as albariño ages quite well, the wines were still fresh and vibrant. Many of you will be familiar with the Paco & Lola brand, made by a large innovative co-op which is also responsible for the Valgalume below. The other big producer in the region is Martín Codax, which also features below.Abellio Albariño 2025, Rías Baixas 12.5%, €17 (sometimes discounted to €12)Plump peaches and pears, with just enough cleansing citrus acidity to balance the rich fruit.From SuperValuMartín Codax Albariño 2024 Rías Baixas12%, €19.99Crisp and fresh with lively citrus zest and green apple fruits. From SuperValu; O’Briens; winesoftheworld.ieVagalume Rias Baixas, Denominación Orixa 202412%, €19.99Fragrant fresh aromas, textured stone ripe fruits with a nicely rounded finish.From O’BriensPaco & Lola Albariño 2024, Rías Baixas13%, €15-17Floral aromas, racy and refreshing lemon peel and succulent orchard fruits. From Dunnes Stores; Tesco; SuperValu