INSIDER'S PICK: 2023 LUIS PATO 'MARIA GOMES' VINHO BRANCO BAIRRADA $18.99

The wines of Luis Pato are Portuguese icons, revolutionary in their time and still a leader more than 50 years on. Were they from one of the more famous regions in Europe, their name would be on most every wine drinker's lips by now. The family can trace its growing history back more than 200 years, but the Bairrada region (about 50 miles South of Porto) was only designated for wine production in the late 1960s, and the Patos were the first to use the name on their wines. Under the control of Luis since the 1980 vintage, the winery has been THE name here, developing wines in the more 'natural' style well before the name became cool, all with a very nonconformist attitude that pushes some of his greatest wines outside the Bairrada DOC regulations. Focusing on their native varieties they have elevated the Baga grape (red) and Maria Gomes (also called Fernao Pires elsewhere in Portugal) into grapes of distinction and recognized quality. For the Maria Gomes, think of it as a Portuguese version of Muscadet, but with a little more sunshine added in. Fresh lime and melon rind aromas pop from the glass almost immediately with a racy, slightly minty coolness. On the palate there is a juicy body at first, followed up by more of a lemon-y tang and more tart fruit than on the nose. This is where you get a lot of the Muscadet comparisons as it can hit almost like salinity, especially when being consumed with seafood. That, of course, is EXACTLY what you should be doing with this wine at all times, getting it together with fresh and simply prepared seafood dishes. ​

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