Alma de Blanco Godello 2016

A few years ago, Rias Baixas, and Albarino were the region and grape names to drop to prove your wine aficionado credentials. These days, those names have become almost mainstream, and it's the tiny neighbouring region of Monterrei - and Albarino's doppelganger Godello - that you need to be talking about to show off your esoteric knowledge. Like Albarino, Godello is crisp, fresh and so friendly to seafood it risks an injunction. Snap it up while it's still an undiscovered (and under valued) gem.

The Pazo do Mar winery, founded in 2006, was discovered by now owner Manuel Mendez and, amazingly, the future success of the winery all began when his car ran out of fuel one afternoon…Manuel, whose family had been in wine production for 40 years, walked to the closest petrol station where he met an old school friend working the till. After a quick exchange, the old friend gave him a bottle of wine. The bottle of red was so magnificent that Manuel made it his mission to find out where it was made. When he finally tracked down the producer, he managed to twist his arm into selling him the entire winery.

The winery resides in Pazos-Verin in the province of Ourense where they produce indigenous, up-and-coming Godello and Mencia in their 13 hectares of vineyards. The average age of the vines here is 25 years and all the harvesting is done by hand. Like its more renowned cousin, Albariño, this 100% Godello is crisp and fresh with light peach notes and a floral finish. Cool climate Spain is arguably producing some of the best fresh white styles in the world.

This Godello was fermented with native yeasts and aged sur lie for two months. Inviting aromas of slate and baking spices lead to an impressively intense palate.