K-Naia Verdejo/Sauvignon Blanc, Rueda 2024

Rueda is Spain's white wine powerhouse region, and Verdejo is its flagship grape-light but textural, zesty yet mouthfilling. Here, about 15% Sauvignon Blanc goes into the blend to add a bit of tropical fruit punch. The nose brings grapefruit, passion fruit and mandarin oil notes with lightly herbaceous characters threading through. It's rich with minerality and racy lime zest acidity, whilst a touch of stone fruit gives lovely texture and intensity, with tropical notes lingering on the finish. There's no oak here-everything stays fresh and bright-but three months on lees gives plenty of character and weight without losing any of that vibrant edge.

Perfectly poised with seafood. Prawns, grilled fish, calamari, paella-and racy acidity and oily fish are old friends.

Bodegas Naia, in the heart of Duero valley's Rueda region, is a champion of the Verdejo grape. Founded in 2002, their focus on old vines, some exceeding a century in age, has yielded wines of remarkable depth and complexity. The vineyards, a patchwork of bush vines and meticulously tended trellises, are a testament to the delicate balance between tradition and innovation. And with a commendable attachment to sustainable practices and minimal intervention their wines express Rueda's unique terroir and really capture the rugged nature of their patch of remote central Spain.