2019 Bodegas Pazo de Villarei Albarino Rias Baixas 750 ml

The Bodegas Pazo de Villarei’s 2019 Albariño, a wine that captured our hearts before the very first sip, is everything we want in a crisp white wine—a mouthwatering, saline-kissed Spanish stunner that’s perfect for any occasion, any food, and any time. 

The wine boasts an impressive 91-point score from the ever-rigorous Wine & Spirits magazine, which praised it as “fresh, lively and oceanic, pure and simple coastal refreshment.”

Here’s what we mean when we say the Pazo de Villarei got our attention from before the first sip: An Italian importer friend texted us an envy-inducing pic from his sunny summer vacation in Galicia, and our eyes went straight to the perspiring bottle we saw in the background. Once he sent us a closeup of the label, we went to work, channeling Spanish sunshine the only way we could. 

Pazo de Villarei is an Albariño specialist, and it shows. They make just three wines, and have a single-minded focus that sets them apart from their neighbors. Today’s Albariño hails from 30+ year-old vineyards, all lovingly farmed in a challenging climate, and the grapes are pressed gently to preserve aromatic delicacy. The wine is fermented solely in stainless steel at low temperatures so that nothing interferes with the natural flavors and aromas of the grape—a great idea when you’ve got this sort of raw material to work with.

As you might expect, this coastal Spanish white is absolutely brilliant with seafood, but we’ve been drinking it with nearly anything you’d pair with white wine. Roast chicken, salads, and sunsets have all been flattered by this wine’s easy charm and energy. We recommend you buy enough to try it with just about everything.