£12.99, Cambridge Wine Merchants
If you’re an Albariño fan, you’ll love this wine, as long as it’s not the saline mineral character that you treasure most. In New Zealand, Albariño tends to have less of the briny, ocean flavour of north west Spain and more of the aromatic, white-peach and apricot succulence – a bit like Viognier but with a generous lick of lemon sherbert to give it zing. Left Field is in effect unoaked, but 20% of the juice was fermented with wild yeast to add complexity, and part of that was in seasoned oak. It’s an ideal aperitif, but is also good at handling Asian spices, particularly with seafood, and it makes a great picnic all rounder. There are only 30 hectares of Albariño in New Zealand so far, but its popularity with drinkers and its naturally thick, rain-resistant skins mean there’s sure to be more in future. Bring it on.
Te Awa Left Field Albariño 2017, Gisborne, New Zealand
£12.99, Cambridge Wine Merchants