Airén is a drought-resistant, white wine grape planted throughout central Spain, occupying about twice as much land there as any other variety. In the 1990's it was the most-planted grape variety in the world. However, as of 2016, it has since dropped to fourth place.
It is used mostly as a workhorse grape, which is why it is not well-known, however – it is usually used as a base wine for brandy, or to make simple table wines for local consumption.
Growing regions
Airén is planted most notably in Spain's inland La Mancha and Valdepeñas wine regions, where its tolerance of hot, dry conditions and poor soils made it the obvious choice of grape variety. Airén has traditionally been used by Spain's brandy industry, and to produce oxidative, high-alcohol white wines.
It was also blended with Cencibel (the local clone of Tempranillo) to produce lighter-bodied red wines. Recently however, with careful handling and improved vinification, Airén has been used to create simple, refreshing, dry white wines of reasonable quality.
Modern preferences for lighter, fruitier wines have led to a decline in Airén's popularity over the past few decades, although there is still a need for low-maintenance varieties as the characteristics of the region make mechanization difficult.
Viticulture
In comparison to other varieties of Vitis vinifera, Airén requires a very low nutrient content in the soil to produce high yields at harvest. This combined with a good resistance to both drought and diseases allows for vignerons to farm the variety with little intervention and involvement. It is no surprise that it is planted so prolifically.
Synonyms
In the Canary Islands, Airen goes by the name "Burra Blanca" (meaning "white donkey"), and is used mainly as a blending ingredient to produce dry white wines, alongside Malvasia, Breval and Listan Blanco (aka Palomino).
It is often confused with Lairén, a grape found commonly throughout Andalucía, although DNA profiling has shown that they are two distinct varieties.
Other synonyms include: Aidén, Valdepeñas, Blancón, Manchega, Forcallet, Forcayet, Burra Blanca, Burrablanca.
Suggested food pairings
As a simplistic wine with moderate acidity, Airén pairs well with large variety of foods and flavors. It can match well with rich seafood dishes, but refrain from pairing with any strongly-flavored dishes such as red meat or game birds.
Think grilled sardines, garlic prawns, steamed Chinese broccoli and lemon-heavy dishes to serve with a bottle of Airén wine.
