Hey, you there: put down that bottle of Pinot grigio! Step awaaaaayyyyyy from the Sauvignon blanc. Just for kicks, let's try something new this summer, yes? Yes. Let's go to Spain today.

We're heading to northern central Spain, in the Castilla y León region. Specifically, we're in the Ribera del Duero wine region. (You're not going to find that on the label, because the winemaker has chosen instead to use the larger geographical category of Castilla y León. My sources tell me that it's because the grapes used in this wine aren't technically allowed to be labeled as Ribera del Duero. Wine laws, amirite? In any case, the Ribera del Duero is a great wine region that's absolutely worth checking out if you haven’t already. Mostly you're going to find Tempranillo-based reds coming out of there, and this wine is NOT that, which is one reason I'm psyched to try it.) The winemaker, Mariano García Fernández, trained and worked at Vega Sicilia, a super famous estate in the Ribera del Duero. I can't afford to taste Vega Sicilia for you, because: midcareer humanities professor. Also because: paying $900 or whatever for a bottle of wine is bananas, to me. So we’re not doing that. So say we all.

This is a white wine, and I'm drinking it fairly cool - not just-out-of-the-fridge-cold, but on the cool side, and it's warming up as it's in the glass, which is great because as it warms its flavors and aromas change. The main grape we're dealing with here is Verdejo (planted on limestone-rich soil) w/ a bit of Godello. So let's focus in on Verdejo, because this is a white wine grape you should try if you're into tartness and brightness. It's worth a try if you tend toward Sauvignon blanc, for example, but don't enjoy being punched in the face with grapefruit, having a bunch of passion fruits all up in your business, or getting grass shoved up your nose. (Depending on the kind of Sauv blanc.) This really grips the inside of your mouth and hangs on in there. It keeps things interesting, structurally and texturally.

Apparently the Verdejo grapes in this particular wine are hand-harvested, fermented in 500 L French oak barrels, and aged 10 months after that. You can taste the oak on the palate but it's subtle and well-integrated, and doesn't take center stage.

The color: medium lemon-green in the glass. It wants to come along with you on a picnic in the grass or in the garden.

The nose: green apple, red apple, dried bay leaf, lemon rind, peach skin, melon skin, something almost nutty like almonds on the bitter side of things, a little hint of a warm vanilla and cedar - just a hint - as it warms in the glass. There's a lot going on here, and it's got some complexity to it.

On the palate: whoa that's a tart little number, right there. Ends in a chalky sensation, crushed stones and salty sea-spray. The body has some creamy heft. Tart lemon, some bitter lemon seeds. Yeah, this is interesting stuff. You can taste the oak more as it warms on the palate, but again: it doesn't take center stage and just balances all that tartness. Structurally, this is a dry wine, medium-to-medium-plus acidity, big grippy tartness on the palate, suuuuuuper loooooong green apple and lemon juice and sea salt finish. (I'm a sucker for a wine with a super long finish: I want to have a sustainable relationship, here, not a quick forgettable fling, ok? I want it to stay with me and hang out for a while.) Alcohol is only 12.5%, which is nice: I like a lower-alcohol kind of wine for the summer.

OK, I'm going to go make some shrimp scampi with orzo while I keep sipping this. Thanks for joining me for a bit - Spanish wine really deserves more love, so let's give it some this summer. xoxo