I tasted some delightful white wines from Rìas Baixas tonight under the expert guidance of two Master Sommeliers, John Szabo and Élyse Lambert. I enjoyed them all, but the last one we tried, the Granbazan Albariño Etiqueta Verde, was my favourite! 

Sometimes, I enjoy wines primarily for their aromas and flavours (although, of course, a balanced structure is vital). With this wine though, what I was taken with was its texture: it had both fresh acidity and a soft roundness to it, such that it felt like finely woven silk on the palate, neither ethereal, nor sharp, just perfectly present. Of course, it smelled wonderful too, like white flowers wilting every so slightly in the sun, apples, ripe lemons, apricots, and fresh bread, with a refreshing touch of sea salt air.

This is a 100% Albariño wine, fermented in stainless steel under controlled temperatures, with some lees contact, but without batonage. I highly recommend it and it’s available at @sipstoronto, as of now. 

This is also an excellent wine to help one learn to identify salinity in wine. I would even recommend pouring yourself a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and comparing the two.

This wine paired beautifully with some cheesy pasta topped off with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and capers. I think it would be wonderful with spicy food too. I