Rainha do Mar Fernão Pires 2023

“Go to Portugal for great value.” Writes the wine critic of the UK’s Times newspaper. That’s certainly true of the Rainha do Mar wines from multi-award-winning Jaime Quendera. The name means Queen of the Sea, and in terms of sheer seafood-matching class this wine reigns supreme. It’s made from the aromatic, lemony Fernão Pires grape, from the Setúbal Peninsula. Centuries ago, Vasco da Gama set sail from here and discovered the sea route to India. Today Setúbal is better known as a surfers’ paradise and a winemaker's nirvana. A sunny climate and cooling ocean breezes provide perfect grape-growing conditions. This white is deliciously fresh and crisp. Serve chilled like the locals do, solo or with grilled fish, simple noodles or a crisp salad.