This is almost the perfect wine for the Australian summer - masses of pink grapefruit, quinine and salinity, with cleansing acidity and a juicy texture. A wonderful white wine grown near the Atlantic Ocean, in the north-west of Spain, this is a crystal-clear example of why Forjas do Salnés are regarded as one of, if not the, greatest producers of Albariño in the world.

This humble garage winery collaboration, Forjas del Salnes, came to life in 2005 when vineyard owner and winemaker Rodrigo Mendez began to revitalize a little piece of Galician history that was quickly fading. Méndez, whose family has a long and proud viticultural history in the Rías Baixas, has consistently produced some of the finest Albariños of the region, especially from the beautiful, hundred-year-old Finca Genoveva vineyard, but it’s the unusual red varietals that seem to be the soul of the project. Rodrigo’s family preserved plantings of local reds - Caiño, Espadiero and Louriero Tinto – while other farmers of the Rías Baixas were busily pulling them out in favour of the more productive white variety Albariño. As a result, 99% of Rías Baixas production is white wine and over 95% of that is Albariño, which makes the reds from this estate rare jewels indeed. His wines are pure and fresh, low in alcohol and high in aroma and texture. They are light wines, with great vivacity and energy, and speak clearly of the maritime climate in which they are grown.