Lately I’ve been trying to eat a healthier diet. I remain a carnivore, but I’m including more chicken and fish in my diet and and less red meat.

I generally prefer red wine, and while there are many reds that pair very well with foul and seafood, my new diet is giving me a good excuse to experience more whites.

I found a simple recipe for pan seared scallops on the Food Network’s website and decided to pair it with a 2010 Martín Códax Albariño. Albariño is Spanish varietal known as the “The Wine of the Seas” because of the ocean’s impact on the climate of vineyards and because the wine is said to be the perfect accompaniment to seafood dishes prevalent in its native Galicia.

The 2010 Martín Códax Albariño has a dry, crisp, fruit-forward flavor with hints of apple, pear and passion fruit. It’s bright minerality makes it a great alternative to a sauvignon blanc that I normally would have paired with this dish.

 Our cat, Chloe, seemed to give this wine her nod of approval before I even opened the bottle:)

Alcohol Level:        12.82%
Suggested Retail Price:      $15

Disclosure: I’m not a sommelier or even a wine snob. I’m just a regular guy who loves wine. I frequently participate in food and wine chats on Twitter where I share what I like and I learn from others what they like. From time to time winemakers and marketers will send me a bottle of wine to review. If I like it, I’ll tweet about it and possibly even write a blog post about it. If I don’t, you’ll never see it mentioned. I am not paid to review wines. The wine I am sent is my only compensation.