Anselmo Mendes one of Portugal's most renowned winemakers. His cellar sits in one of the top crus for Alvarinho in the country. Before Anselmo took over, his family had dabbled in wine production for at-home consumption. After Anselmo graduated with a degree in agronomy that he decided to specialize in wine. After working as a sought-after consultant across France and Portugal, Anselmo decided to start his own winery, producing wines from rented grapes in the Monção e Melgaço zone of Vinho Verde. Unlike other producers, who were focused on sweeter, fizzier, low-res kind of Vinho Verde productions, Anselmo began producing bone-dry wines with high minerality. The shift earned him the coveted Winemaker of the Year title in Portugal, an honor he has earned multiple times over. Today he no longer rents grapes; in fact, he has some of the most significant Alvarinho holdings in the area!

We went gaga for the glorious expression of Alvarinho that Anselmo has created in this wine from his hometown. It's bone-dry and mineral-infused with a hint of tropical pineapple and peach notes.