It has been an exceptional summer in terms of visiting places I had long heard about and amongst some bigger names one of the nicest surprises was at Cofiño, tucked away in the Cantabrian hills.

It is a respectful distance from the glamour of the beaches and towns on the coast and there is absolutely nothing pretentious about it from the outside. If you didn’t know it was there you wouldn’t give it a second glance (were it not for the dozens of parked cars). Inside too, while it is an extremely pleasant space, there is no indication you are in anything other than a rustic tavern – while you cannot argue with a menu heavy in mixed salads, fried eggs and potatoes, meatballs and steaks.

But then you see the winelist, and the little cellar on display to one side of the dining room, and you realize that everything you had been told was true.

Absolutely cracking – as good a selection of current releases from around Spain as I have seen and a nicely chosen selection of wines from all over. Sherries are superbly represented – those that are listed and those that are not, with some real treasures, and the prices are absolutely fantastic all the way down the winelist (you would not believe how little we paid for the wines above). Or should I say list of wines and spirits – a really exceptional list of spirits of every kind, including a pretty encyclopedic list of brandies de jerez.

Eggs, ham and chips, meatballs and top quality wines for a song. Paradise!