I was asked to bring a Godello wine to lunch on Easter, by my picky host (with impeccable taste!), a card-carrying Spain expert. I had been bound by oath not to bring any wine issued by a certain Spanish importer. Okay. Unaccustomed to checking the importer label, I paid for a bottle and left the shop. As the door closed behind me, I remembered. I checked. I reentered the shop, and sheepishly explained my need to exchange the bottle for another. The saleswoman thought that was fine, but wanted me to know that the importer in question is well-respected and personally responsible for having put Spanish wines on the map. I stopped myself from telling her that I had been warned against showing up with anything imported by "that marketing whore". Instead, I smiled. I then chose the wine pictured above, Casal Novo, Godello, Galicia 2009.
Lunch was about an hour and a half out of town by train, and lasted six hours, thanks to leisurely cooking and multiple courses. We opened the bottle (one of five for the six guests present), with a dish of seared scallops and a pomegranate beurre blanc. My host was pretty damn excited about the Casal Novo. And it paired really well with the rich, tart sauce and sweet scallops. The wine is straw-colored, with an intense, bright lemony aroma. It was a little like a lightbulb in a glass and provided some extra spark to the table. On the tongue it was acidic, peachy, and with a pleasant minerality. Pretty yummy. So Mom, if you're reading: pick up a bottle!
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