Albariño: Not Just for Summer

Many people think of Albariño as a summer wine. Its bright, citrusy flavors and saline tang do conjure up images of warm evenings on the deck, long walks by the beach, and the fresh fish and vegetables of the summer season.

But Albariño shouldn't be drunk solely between June and September. Right about now, with the days shorter and the cold temperatures setting in, we can all use a lift. And with one heavy holiday meal right around the corner and more to come, I'm filling my shopping cart with lighter food options that won't leave me groaning come the New Year.

Here is an Albariño for you to look for in your local shop, as well as some menu suggestions for dishes to serve with it. One final note: if you will be having a mountain of leftovers in your fridge this Friday, Albariño is your friend. Turkey sandwiches and leftover Waldorf salad will be spectacular with this wine.

2009 Condes de Albarei Albariño Salneval (available for $8-$16) This is a wonderful example of the grape that showcases its versatility and food friendliness. It manages to be fresh, lively, yet mouth-filling at the same time. A nicely-balanced set of aromas and flavors including apple, lemon, and bitter orange finish off with a nutty, slightly salty edge that reminded me of Marcona almonds. Excellent QPR, and a great starter bottle if you're not familiar with the grape. This will set a good benchmark for future comparison.

In addition to turkey leftovers, try your Albariño with these recipes from your favorite food magazines:

• a quick version of the Portuguese cataplana stew of sausage and clams from Food & Wine
  
• seared scallops with fennel and grapefruit salad from Cooking Light
  
• chicken curry with green apple and coconut chutney from Bon Appetit
  
• Rachael Ray's Baja-Style Fish Hand Pies
  

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine for review.

Looking for Grapes In All the Wrong Places

People have different ways of locating good wine values. Some shop the sales, while others haunt the box stores. A few turn their backs on their favorites--Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, sparkling wine--and settle for something they're less fond of hoping it will suit their tastebuds.

My number one budget strategy (other than finding yourself a good wine retailer who will get to know your taste in wine and can steer you away from costly errors) is quite simple, can be done in any store, and is neither a strategy based on abstinence or rock-bottom clearances. Here it is:

Look for grapes in all the wrong places.

Certain regions become justifiably famous for producing a single grape--like Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa, or Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley--and this means that growers can command the highest prices for their wines. But Cabernet Sauvignon is not the only grape grown in Napa Valley. Trust me on this. Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling (rare, but it's there!) are excellent and represent excellent value, too, because really, when is the last time you heard anybody ask "Do you have any Napa Riesling??"

Here are a few of my recent finds that fit the "great grape in a surprising place" mantra for wine value.

Verdelho, Albariño and Grüner Veltliner--From Clarksburg: Dancing Coyote may just be the greatest value wine producer you aren't drinking--yet. But if you see a cavorting coyote on a wine label, buy it and try it. You are going to be amazed at the taste and quality inside the bottle. Dancing Coyote is in Clarksburg, CA along the Sacramento River delta. I tasted a number of their wines (and reviewed their Petite Sirah a little while ago) and all of them were impressive. The whites were especially excellent QPR, however, and made with grapes that are normally associated with the Iberian Peninsula or Austria. The 2009 Dancing Coyote Verdelho (suggested retail, $10.99; available for $8-$14) was fresh and clean, and had well-balanced flavors of apple and lemonade with a bit of spritz. Try it with some spicy shrimp and chorizo kebabs for a fast weeknight supper. The 2009 Dancing Coyote Albariño (suggested retail $10.99; available for $8 -$10) had loads of green apple flavors and aromas, with citrus threaded through. And the 2009 Dancing Coyote Grüner Veltliner (suggested retail $10.99, and available through the winery) is a terrific example of domestic Grüner Veltliner, with typical grapefruit, lentil, and dust aromas and flavors. A bit more full and round than an Austrian example, this went well with pasta with ham and asparagus.

Pinot Gris from Australia: When you think Pinot Gris you may think Alsace or even Italy--but not Australia. The 2009 Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris from Australia's Yarra Valley (suggested retail $15; available between $13 and $23) demands you reconsider this notion. It had a distinctive aroma profile of muted mandarin orange and nectarine. The flavors included notes notes of white nectarine, white peach, and Meyer lemon. Nicely balanced between fruit and acidity, this was an excellent QPR winner from Innocent Bystander.

Chardonnay from Italy: When I think Chardonnay I think California or France--not Italy. But Italy makes some beautiful Chardonnay, including the excellent QPR 2008 Tormaresca Chardonnay from Puglia (available for between $9 and $13). Straightforward, clean pear and apple aromas and flavors, with slight citrus inflections and no discernible oak, which was a nice change of pace. It was terrific with Ina Garten's Szechuan peanut noodles.

Malbec from California: Americans have finally discovered Malbec, which is a good thing since it's a terrific red grape with roots that extend back into French viticultural history. Now, Malbec is most often associated with Argentina, but it's grown in California, too.The 2008 Red Rock Winery Malbec Reserve is an exceptional Malbec for the price (suggested retail $10.99; available for $8-$14), with a "blue" flavor profile of blueberries and huckleberries. The aromas are accented at first with white flowers, and a nice note of baking chocolate enters into the aftertaste. For $11? Excellent QPR.

Full Disclosure: I received these wines as samples.

Bodegas Montecillo's Albariño Adventure

What happens when a winemaker like Maria Martinez Sierra--known for her red wines at Bodegas Montecillo in the Rioja--turns her attention to white wine instead? Something wonderful if this bottle is any indication.

The 2006 Bodegas Montecillo Verdemar Albariño is made from grapes grown in Spain's Rías Baixas region, and it's the first vintage of the wine available in the US. I found it to be a textbook Albariño with delectable citrus, saline, and bread dough aromas. There were flavors of apple, along with more doughy and citrusy notes, and a salt spray finish. This is an excellent QPR effort from Bodegas Montecillo, with their typical attention to varietal correctness and every element in perfect balance. The suggested retail is $14, and you may be lucky enough to find this (or a later vintage) near you for around $12.

Albariño is a perfect partner for shellfish, and I'm particularly fond of it with clams. So peel yourself some shrimp, crack into a lobster, or steam some Little Necks and enjoy this zesty, summery wine with friends.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Taking a Break with Albariño

I'm rich fooded out.

After the fifth holiday party, the ninth cookie platter (my downfall), and the umpteenth meal out that I start feeling this way.

I crave something lighter, something leaner, something fresher. And the same goes for my wine. I love reds--but a nice white is a lip-smacking change of pace.

So I opened up a bottle of Albariño, Spain's zesty white wine from the Riax Baixas region.

It was just the break I needed.

The 2007 Martin Codax Albariño was a very good QPR find. It had aromas of apple, pineapple, and citrus fruits that were palate cleansing without being overly acidic. These enticingly fresh scents were echoed in the flavors, which turned more pineapple-y in the aftertaste. Albariños are known for their tongue-tingly acidity, but you want there to be enough fruit as a counterbalance and this wine had it.

Albariños are made for seafood--clams, in particular--so if you are looking for a simple meal get some Littlenecks, and cook them with garlic, paprika and wine, perhaps some tomato, and a few slices or cooked chorizo or sausage and serve it with a hunk of bread to sop up the juices. Or you can do as we did and have the wine with the Barefoot Contessa's grilled salmon sandwiches with a zesty spread made with dill, capers, and basil. Either way, you will find that the acidity is lovely with the seafood or fish, and that the apple, tropical fruit, and citrus flavors are a perfect foil for the aromatics and herbs used in these dishes.

I received this wine as a sample. You will find it near you for $11-$15.

Spanish Wine: It's Synonymous with "Value"

If you're looking for value wines these days, I have one question for you: are you looking in the Spanish section?

When I was in Spain, I was struck over and over by the way the wines of the region were simple and straightforward in the best sense. First, Spanish wines represent great, great value. Second, they're food friendly. They go with the kinds of meals that we eat these days because even the reds are fresh and flavorful. And finally, they celebrate local flavors by growing indigenous grapes.

My latest Spanish wine, the 2006 Vionta Albariño Rías Baixas, exemplifies what I love about wines from the Iberian peninsula. (sample; you should be able to find it near you for $10-$25). It's got great taste, great value, and it's made from the native Albariño grape. This excellent QPR wine had a beautiful gold color. I smelled autumnal aromas of super-ripe apples and juicy pears. The apples continued on through the flavors, and there was a slighlty honeyed note as if wedges of Golden Delicious apples had been dipped in warm Clover honey. The wine left a juicy aftertaste in your mouth, and because of the excellent acidity it never got cloying or heavy.

We had our Albariño with some delicious homemade fish tacos with a lime-cilantro sauce that really paired nicely with the fresh apple and honeyed flavors of the wine. And the wine's juicy acidity handled all the different spices just perfectly.

This wine has a huge price swing depending on where you pick it up, but it is widely available. My parents found it in their local PLCB store, and all I can say is if you can find it in Pennsylvania, you can probably find it anywhere. If you can get this for less than $15 (which seems to be the average price point), I think you'll be very pleased with your purchase.

So if you're looking for wine bargains, don't forget to look in the Spanish section. And feel free to leave your latest Spanish wine tips in the comments below.

TAPAS Is for Tempranillo Lovers

On Friday I attended the first ever TAPAS event at Copia, the American Center for Food, Wine, and the Arts in Napa. TAPAS stands for the Tempranillo Advocates, Producers, and Amigos Society, and it has more than sixty wineries and vineyards in its membership. It was a great opportunity for me to learn more about Iberian varieties and how US wine makers and grape growers are using them to craft distinctive wines that are full of personality. (Picture of Earl Jones of Abacela Vineyards, the president of TAPAS, and other panelists)

There is a long history that helps to explain why Spanish varieties are relatively new players on the US wine scene. Most of it has to do with the government--as usual. When the Spanish came to the New World way back when, they wanted to protect the Spanish tax base and wine exports and so they prohibited the really good grapes from traveling overseas. What did this lead to? Colonists in pursuit of good wine grapes went to the French, Italians, and Germans which gave grapes like Chardonnay a leg up and put Spanish grapes way behind. Penelope Gadd-Coster of Coral Mustang Wines asked the million dollar question: "Where would Tempranillo be [now in the US] if Jefferson had not been a Francophile?"

The tasting that occurred in the afternoon was a real eye-opener for me and for most of the people there because how many times have you ever had a chance to taste 40-45 US Tempranillos side by side? Tempranillo is often likened to Cabernet Sauvignon for its versatility and quality, and that was true in the wines I tasted. I was struck by the wide range of flavors that the grape was capable of producing here in the US. There was everything from luscious, fruit-forward wines to bottles that would have been hard to identify as New World. Coral Mustang's 2004 Tempranillo from the Vista Creek Vineyards in Paso Robles ($22) had smoke, leather and a beautiful balance between these notes and the blackberry and black raspberry fruit. Tempranillo grapes have a smoky flavor, and this wine was made in neutral oak barrels, so any smoke was from the fruit, not the wood. The 2006 Bokisch Tempranillo (not yet released, around $22), had the same beef tea flavor that I last tasted in a 1991 Bodegas Montecillo Gran Reserva Especial from the Rioja, along with roasted herbs, earth, and a smoky aftertaste. The 2005 Six Sigma Tempranillo ($42), on the other hand, used French oak barrels when making its wine which resulted in vanilla aromas and juicy fruit flavors of blackberry and fig along with some coffee. I particularly liked Valley View Winery's 2005 "Anna Maria" Tempranillo from the Applegate Vineyard in Oregon ($24). It was very traditional in its flavors of cherry, strawberry, and cedar, and its lightness and elegance was striking. And Tempranillo is made for aging, as was clear in the 2005 Scribner Bend Black Hat Tempranillo ($14.95) with is cherry, strawberry, and smoke flavors and a core of bright acidity that will soften with time.

Tempranillo is also being used in blends, which is true in Spain as well. One blockbuster blend was the 2006 Twisted Oak The Spaniard, which has not yet been released but should please everybody with its ooh-la-la flavors and aromas of chocolate, cherries, smoke, and leather. The 2005 Core C3 Crazy Eights ($39) was made from a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It had amazingly rich blackberry fruit flavors that exploded in your mouth, along with rich cedar and chocolate notes.

But the day wasn't all about Tempranillo. TAPAS celebrates all Iberian grape varieties, so there were people pouring wines made from other grapes like Touriga Nacional and Graciano, too. I tasted a 2007 Twisted Oak Graciano barrel sample that was one of the most interesting wines of the day, with its cranberry aromas, smoky aftertaste, and cherry and blackberry flavors. The NV St. Amant Tawny Port ($35) is made from 100% Bastarda and had heady aromas of raisins, toffee, and toasted nuts in a wine with a rich tawny color and a silky texture. Both Barreto and St. Amant produced excellent Tourigas, too. The 2005 Barreto Cellars Touriga (around $25, not yet released) was very drinkable with floral and spice aromas, spicy fruit red and black fruit flavors, and a soft finish. The 2006 St. Amant Touriga ($18) had aromas of violets and spice with cherry flavors, and a hint of beeswax in the aftertaste.

As for white wines, I think they are still a work in process. There is enormous potential in the Albarino grape, as well as in Verdelho. Albarino has the body to bump Chardonnay of its perch, and Verdelho should be on every table that is currently adorned with a simple Sauvignon Blanc, but right now the wines are a bit unfocused and I think the emphasis is on making quaffable wines. Nothing wrong with that of course, but I think we will see more wine makers trying to craft something more distinctive with these varieties. The 2007 Bokisch Mokelumne River Albarino ($16) takes a big step in that direction, with sensational aromas and flavors of orange blossom and buttered apples, balanced acidity, and a crisp yet juicy finish. This was an extraordinary and memorable white wine, and shows just how great Albarino can be.

Based on this event, I think we can all look forward to some golden years of drinking wine made with Iberian grape varieties right here in the US. It will be exciting to see what the grapes do as more vines are planted, and what wine makers do with the juice once more of it is available. If you haven't yet discovered these wines, you are in for a treat. If you have, let us know what your favorites are in the comments.

Checking up on Bonny Doon's Journey into Biodynamics

I've written before on the site about Randall Grahm's efforts to take the sprawling and eclectic wine enterprise that is Bonny Doon and turn it into a much smaller and focused operation devoted to biodynamic farming and exploring the potential of far fewer grape varieties. In my tastes of the results so far, this transformation has led to some very interesting and pleasant white wines. The reds are still a work in progress in my opinion, but the white wines are distinctive, fun, and out of the ordinary.

The latest Bonny Doon wine that I tried was the 2007 Bonny Doon Vineyard Albariño, a very tasty wine that was made using biodynamic protocols. ($17.00 in a wine club shipment; expect to pay $18-$22 through merchants near you. It's also available for $20 through the Bonny Doon website). The pale straw-colored wine had strong and unmistakable aromas of honeysuckle when you first unscrewed the cap. We have a Meyer lemon tree in the back yard, and the flavors reminded me of the slightly richer and sweeter flavors of those lemons with a bit of sea salt adding a note of interest. As you sipped the wine, it left a slightly bitter and intense flavor of grapefruit oil which made your mouth water for more. I liked this wines intensity and its trueness to the variety--in a supercharged, Californian way. Even though it was very good, I can only give it a good QPR designation because of the price. There are a lot of very good Spanish wines made with this grape that are less expensive. Still, if you like zesty, intense Albariños this is well worth checking out.

This Albariño would be excellent with fish or chicken tacos/fajitas, or with a Spanish dish like paella. We tried it with both of those options, and I was hard pressed to pick a winner. In the case of the chicken fajitas we had, the lime that was squeezed on the meat and vegetables paired very nicely with the Meyer lemon and grapefruit notes in the wine. With the paella, which we made with chicken, rosemary, shrimp, artichokes, sausage, and peas, the wine was flexible enough to pair with the many textures and flavors of the dish. And its freshness handled the rich saffron flavors of paella just beautifully. If you'd like to try to make a somewhat less time-intensive version of the famous Spanish rice dish, you can check out this recipe, but DO NOT follow the final cooking instructions--they don't work and you will have uncooked rice 45 minute after the dish is supposed to be done. Instead, follow the recipe up until you bring the pan of goodies to a boil after adding the stock. Then let it simmer, uncovered and without stirring, for 7 minutes. It will still be soupy at this point. Transfer the pan into an oven preheated to 400 or 425 degrees, being sure to cover the handle with foil if it's plastic. Cook it there for a further 15 minutes. You can sprinkle some more stock over the pan if the mixture seems too dry (check 5-7 minutes after you first put the pan in the oven.) Remove the pan, cover it with foil, and let it stand on the counter for 10 minutes. Uncover the pan and let stand for another 5 minutes. Even if you don't have a traditional paella pan, this method yields good results and you should get some of the coveted crustiness and caramelization on the bottom of the rice.

I'd be interested to hear what those of you who are drinking more recent vintages of Bonny Doon think about Grahm's efforts so far. And if you're drinking new vintages of the Pacific Rim or "Big House" wines, I'd love to know how those are faring too, since they are no longer made by Grahm.

AVIN5416375910267

Drinking Local: Albarino

I've been getting to know Spanish wines this year, and have had some excellent whites and some flavorful reds, too. I was struck at this week's Family Winemakers tasting by how many domestic producers are starting to plant Iberian varietals from Spain and Portugal, and how good the wines can be. Tempranillo seems to be the favorite Iberian varietal among US producers at the moment, but you see others as well, including verdelho and albarino.

I recently had an extremely good Albarino grown in the wilds of Mendocino County. This area is known for sparkling wine, pinot noir, and chardonnay so I was delighted to find a Spanish grape tucked into the mix. This counted as drinking local for me, since the grapes were produced at Eaglepoint Ranch Winery just up Highway 1 and a right turn on Highway 128 away from the coast. The 2006 Eaglepoint Ranch Albarino ($18, direct from the winery) was a real surprise, with its exciting aromas of almonds, apples, and citrus. I've never been able to smell any almonds in an albarino from Spain, even though it's a hallmark of the varietal, so when I got that decided whiff of nuts I was hopeful that the flavors would be a fitting follow-up. Made with organic grapes, there was a little bit of spritz when the wine was first opened, but this quickly dissipated leaving a lively still wine. It had great acidity, but the mouthfeel was rounder than many of the Spanish versions of this varietal that I've tasted. To me, this tasted less tangy, with the citrus taking a decided back seat to the almonds and apples. We had it with roasted chicken and a big summer salad, and that roundness came in handy with the lemon and rosemary that flavored the first, and the herbs and vegetables that filled the second.

Only a few cases were made of this wine, and it costs a bit more than the entry-level Spanish albarinos you can easily find at the big chain stores. But if you love albarino I'd heartily recommend you contact the winery and see if they can send you a bottle or two or three of this very good QPR wine.

Catavino's May Virtual Tasting: Albarino

Catavino's May Virtual Tasting theme is Albarino, the white grape that is planted abundantly in the Rias Baixas region of Spain in Galicia, and is increasingly popular with US consumers and grape growers. How to explain this white's growing fan club? It's an excellent food wine, with great balance between ripe fruit flavors and refreshing acidity. It's also very affordable, although I have a sinking feeling that may change as US consumers gain some familiarity with it.

Albarino has a long history in Spain, and albarino wines made in the traditional fashion emphasized the mineral qualities of the grape along with its acidity and fruit. Modern growers and winemakers are concocting more fruit-forward wines to appeal to the majority of 21st century drinkers who seem to prefer that style. So for the Catavino Virtual Tasting I decided to get two albarinos--one made in the traditional style, the other in a more modern, fruit-forward style--and compare them. We had folks over for drinks and appetizers by the pool and I served some serrano ham, bread sticks, olives, cold peel-and-eat shrimp with cocktail sauce, and even some tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole. Then we started sipping. While we had a definite favorite among the two Albarinos we tasted, both represented excellent QPR, something I've grown to expect and enjoy from Spanish wines.

First we tasted an albarino wine made in the traditional style, the 2005 Pablo Padin Albarino Segrel (Chronicle Wine Cellar, $13.95; available at other merchants for around $15). This wine had white stone fruits, apple, and pear in perfect balance with stony, mineral, and herbal notes. While the wine had lovely, food-friendly acidity it was not all harsh or sharp on the tongue. It was especially good with the shrimp and the olives, since it seemed to pick out the brininess of the shellfish and the fresh greenness of the herb-infused olives. I liked the warm peach aromas when the bottle was first opened, and the way these led to a dry, refreshing flavor profile. This wine was most people's favorite, and we agreed that it didn't taste like any other wine we'd ever had--it was full of distinctive albarino varietal characteristics.

Our next bottle was an albarino made in the modern style: the 2005 Martin Codax Albarino Burgans (Chronicle Wine Cellar, $9.95; available at many merchants for $10-$20). This wine will definitely be easier to find than the Pablo Padin, and it has a label that fits in with all the other wine labels in the store. This wine was much more fruit forward, with grapefruit, apple, and peach aromas and abundant fruity flavors. There were notes of flowers in the aromas, too, but very little minerality among its flavors. Like the first albarino we had, this had nice acidity, but overall the wine wasn't as balanced between acidity/fruit/minerality as the first wine. Most of us felt this was not as distinctive as the Pablo Padin, and could be mistaken for other dry white wines.

If you want to explore Albarino wines more, I found a great podcast on Albarino wines at the Remarkable Palate Podcast. This podcast was made in conjunction with a tasting of wines made by 19 producers, and lasts just under an hour, so it's a good option for listening to during your commute if you are intrigued by this varietal and want to get to know it better. It included a lot of discussion of the varietal characteristics of the grape, and a very lucid overview of food pairing for this wine. Experts suggested that Albarino would be good with Indian food, which I would agree with now that I've had a few more of them--especially seafood curries.

Thanks once again to Catavino's Gabriella Opaz and Ryan Opaz for hosting this event. If you'd like to see what other people have been drinking this month as they learn more about albarino, check out their forum where you will find over 2 dozen posts and counting. And if you've had an albarino this month, you still have a few days to leave your impressions of the experience over in the forum. I'll post the June theme as soon as it's announced if you'd like to join in the fun next month.

Catavino Virtual Tasting for May: Albarino

After their successful April virtual tasting of rose wines, Catavino is back with another virtual tasting event to wet your whistle and expand your knowledge of Spanish wines for May.

May's focus will be on albarino wines, the varietal native to Galicia--though you may be more familiar with the designation "Rias Baixes" on the label. I've only had one albarino wine that I had after a recommendation from Wannabe Wino's Sonadora, but based on this experience they have an intriguing mixture of refreshing acidity on the tongue and floral aromas in the nose. I'm looking forward to trying out some more of these summery white wines, and have already put together a shopping list based on K&L Wines' good selection of bottlings between $9.99 and $22.99. The 2004 and 2005 Lusco Albarinos sound particularly yummy.

Check out Gabriella's round-up of the rose experience, and her tips for the albarino tasting, by clicking here. The forum is already hopping with comments, give-and-take and feedback so head over there soon to record your impressions about this varietal and to take away a list of suggested wines to keep in pocket and purse for your wine shopping expeditions this month.

Spring Into Albarino

Albarino has caught the American imagination. The US is now the #1 importer of wines made with this grape, as reported in an article recently in the SF Chronicle. The article also suggested that Albarino was the perfect wine for spring, and having just opened my first Spanish white, I cannot agree more.

I was tipped off to this wine by Sonadora at Wannabe Wino, who gave me a list of good Spanish whites to try out when I posted my New Year's Resolutions. Heavily planted in Spain's Rias Biaxas region in northwestern Spain, it is also planted in Portugal where it is known as Alvarinho. American vineyard owners and winemakers (including Qupe and Babcock) are just beginning to explore the potential of domestic plantings of the varietal.

The 2005 Vina Nora Albarino ($13.99, Colorado Wine Company; available through many other merchants for under $15) is light gold in color. It has characteristic varietal aromas of sweet honeysuckle and orange blossom. Its flavor profile is predominantly citrusy, with bracing acidity and a dry finish. Somehow, this wine managed to be both round and fresh, which is indeed the perfect combination for spring, with meals that include ham, roast chickens, and salmon popping up on many tables. These foods can quickly wash out a wine that has no body, but Albarino was a good match. All considered, I thought this had very good QPR, and would definitely become one of my go-to wines in the store.

I am trying to expand my regional cooking knowledge along with my Iberian wine knowledge, so we had this with a quick version of cataplana, a traditional Portuguese stew made with pork and clams. Here mild Italian sausage is substituted for the traditionally slow-cooked pork in the dish. You need lots of good bread to sop up the flavorful sauce, and once you toss together a green salad you are all set for a meal that makes you feel you are have a spring dinner al fresco, even if you are not.