Vinos de Madrid is, wait for it, the wine producing region surrounding Madrid. Fine. But did you know that Madrid is not only the capital city of Spain but an “autonomous community”, their equivalent of a state? The region of Madrid has an ancient history of wine production going back at least to the Romans and enjoyed much success prior to phyloxera’s arrival in 1914 and the subsequent Civil War and general ruination of the wine industry under the dictator Francisco Franco. One of the peculiarities of the teetotaler Franco’s rule was that he allowed wine production to continue but since white wine is not part of the Catholic mass he ordered the white grape vines to be pulled up or grafted over to red varietals. Thus, the indigenous white grape of the region surrounding his capital, Malvar, was nearly eradicated. Malvar tastes like a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, with the flavors and acidity of the former and the body of the latter. From vines planted immediately after Franco’s death, the now almost fifty-year-old vines grown organically and carbon-neutrally at more than 2100 feet in clay and limestone soils, provide a stunning level of complexity at this price point. Though Madrid is in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, the prominence of fish in the cuisine of the capital is long standing and this wine is a great accompaniment to salmon, bass or swordfish, as well as shrimp and more terrestrial fare.