2021 Ribafreixo DOC Alentejo ‘Gáudio’

100% Alvarinho. The winemaking process involves fermenting in stainless steel tanks for 30 days, with an additional 2 to 3 months of batonnage.

This is a lovely little southern Portuguese white- it’s light to medium bodied, with a nicely aromatic nose of lime, wildflowers, honey, white stone fruit, pineapple and lychee, all with a nice sea salt spray. The acidity isn’t too zingy, so it’s a great poolside aperitif or as a complement to all kinds of salads, fish and fruit dishes.

Ribafreixo Wines is a young and dynamic wine producing company located in the heart of Vidigueira, in the Alentejo region. It was born in 2007 and grew from an Alentejo patchwork that became a unique property, where 28 small plots gave way to 280 acres of vineyards. Some of the pre-existing vineyards, which were very old and almost forgotten grape varieties, were recovered and new extensions were planted, with a focus on indigenous grape varieties in the region, all under the watchful eye of the imposing Serra do Mendro. Vidigueira has an excellent microclimate for growing vines. Bounded to the north by the Serra do Mendro, which establishes a natural border between Évora and Beja, the Upper and Lower Alentejo, it registers higher average annual rainfall and milder temperatures, despite its location so far south. The soil conditions are also ideal, since they are shale lands, a factor that gives minerality to the wine. In recent years, the region has known a remarkable dynamism linked to the production of wines, recognized in Portugal and the world for their exceptionality.