Niepoort Drink Me Nat Cool Branco 1L

These one litre bottles of fresh, spritzy white wine are outrageously good value, and the project of one of the world’s most exciting winemakers. From organic Vinho Verde vineyards on north Portugal’s Atlantic coastline, Dirk Niepoort makes these wines in the style of lightly sparkling Pét-Nat, without added sulphites. Malolactic fermentation brings some texture and weight balancing out citrusy freshness.

Based along Portugal’s famed Douro River, Niepoort have been making Port since the 1840’s, purchasing their own vineyards (Quinta) in the 1980’s. Now in it’s 5th generation, brother and sister Dirk and Verena have injected youthful energy into their family estate. As well as still producing port, they also focus on making elegant, lower alcohol wines that express terroir, aided by organic and biodynamic practices. Traditional techniques are still honoured, like the use of Lagares, the circular granite troughs where fruit is foot crushed and fermented. With such a wide range of styles produced, there’s amazing drinking to be explored here.