Abadia Real Verdejo

Abadia Real Verdejo is a dry white built on Verdejo, a grape best known from central Spain, where it is usually made as a crisp, aromatic, unoaked white. The producer listed is Esplanda, and the origin on record is Massachusetts, United States. The store hasn't published a tasting sheet, so what follows is what Verdejo-based whites usually deliver, not measured numbers for this bottling. Expect citrus-led fruit such as lime, grapefruit and green apple, often with a herbal edge of fennel, grass or bay leaf and sometimes a faint bitter-almond note on the finish. The body is typically light to medium, the acidity bright, and there is no tannin to speak of. Most examples are fermented in stainless steel, so oak is rarely a factor. Serve it well chilled, around 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F). A couple of hours in the fridge, or 30 minutes in an ice bucket, is enough. Colder than that mutes the herbal aromatics, and warmer makes the acidity feel loose. It doesn't need decanting. Just open it and pour. A standard white wine glass with a moderately tapered rim is the right choice because it gathers the citrus and herb aromas. A large, wide red-wine bowl lets them escape too quickly. At the table, the acidity and green notes suit food with its own freshness. Good matches are grilled shrimp with lemon, steamed mussels or clams, ceviche, fried calamari, goat cheese on toast, and salads with a sharp vinaigrette. It also works with green-herb sauces like chimichurri or pesto, and with grilled asparagus, a dish that often overwhelms other wines. Lightly spiced Thai or Vietnamese dishes are another fit, since the wine's cooling character handles a little heat. Rich cream sauces and heavily smoked meats will tend to overpower it. Treat this as a drink-now bottle. Wines in this style are built for freshness and are usually best within a year or two of release. Keep it in a cool, dark place until you chill it, and finish it within a day or two of opening, re-corked and refrigerated.