Vinho Verde--Just Because

Just because it's Monday...
Just because you got paid this weekend...
Just because you feel like fish tacos for dinner...
Just because you have some roasted cashews or almonds...
Just because you're trying to stay out of your kid's candy stash...

Vinho Verde.

It's not profound. It's not prestigious. It's not something you see on every restaurant wine list.

But it is perfect for those "just because" days when you have no plans, nothing much to celebrate, and want to drink an interesting wine anyway.

Try this one on for size: the 2008 Trajarinho Vinho Verde ($9.99, domaineLA; $8-$10 elsewhere) It's light, fun, zippy--everything Portuguese Vinho Verde is supposed to be! You'll discover citrus, mineral, and herb notes in the aromas and flavors, along with a bit of yeastiness. You may also sense a spritz on your tongue, which is normal for Vinho Verde, as is its 11% alc/vol. And for under $10 it represents excellent QPR.

A Toast to Catavino--and Their Good Taste

Over on Tom Wark's blog Fermentation, he's been profiling wine bloggers. These posts give you a better sense of the bloggers behind the blogs that you might read, and the latest "Bloggerview" interview was with Ryan and Gabriella, the folks who bring you Catavino.

Regular readers of the blog know that one of my new year's resolutions was to get to know Spanish wine, and I've done a pretty good job fulfilling my resolution so far--thanks to Catavino. My growing knowledge of the wines of the region has been largely the bi-product of their great reviews and writing. Recently, they hosted WBW #38 on Portuguese wines, and now I'm committed to learning more about them, too. Once again, Catavino to the rescue. They put together a 3-pack of recommended Portuguese wines for domaine547 and I popped the cork on my first bottle the other day.

The wine in question was the 2006 Caves da Cerca Vinho Verde Famega (retails in most markets for under $10; included as one of the three wines in domaine547's $50 Catavino pack).This was my first vinho verde and I loved the way it opened up with the gentle fizziness that vinho verde is known for. Sometimes, however, the travel time from Portugal to the US takes some of the fizz out, which is (frankly) not as much fun. Pouring it into the glass, it also had the pale green-gold color that is also associated with this young wine. It had aromas of crisp pears and citrus, and I tasted these in the flavors, as well. They were accompanied by a doughy, yeasty note. Still, the overall taste impression was fresh and clean. At only 9% alc/vol it is a very nice appetizer wine, but it would also go well with peel and eat shrimp or fish and chips. (image from ethmar.com)

Drinking this wine was a great way to toast Catavino, their great taste in wine, and the help that they've given me this year as I learned about Iberian wine. Thanks, Ryan and Gabriella. Cheers to you!

Weekend Wine Shopping: WBW Made Me Do It!

Wine Blogging Wednesday. It's good news and it's bad news. Good news because we learn a lot about wine. Bad news because, once we learn about it, we want to drink it.

So this weekend's wine shopping is dedicated to helping you find the wines to either feed the need for Portuguese vino that was caused by reading all those fabulous tasting notes that Ryan and Gabriella drew together from WBW #38, or to feed the need for Burgundy wines in preparation for Neil the Brooklynguy's WBW #39 in November.

After I had my bottle of Portuguese white, I knew I wanted to taste more Portuguese wine. So I clicked over to domaine547, my favorite armchair wine store, and bought one of the new "wine blogger packs." This is a new idea at domaine547, where wine bloggers select a few wines that they think that their readers would like to try. The first pack was put together by Catavino's own Ryan and Gabriella, and included three carefully selected Portuguese wine. The price? $50. The Catavino Pack contained a zesty 2006 Famega Vinho Verde; a hearty 2003 Esporao Trincadeira; and a 2003 Bacalhoa Touriga So. Opening the box was a bit like opening a present--there was a great information sheet (which included the recipe for a perfect food pairing for the Trincadeira!) and a little gift (a much snazzier foil cutter than the one I presently own). I'm happy to have my three bottles of Portuguese wine, and to have reduced the sizable carbon footprint I planted on LA in the past few weeks trying to find wine for WBW #38! Are you going to someone's house for Thanksgiving? This would be a great "send ahead" hostess gift! I'd sure be happy to have this arrive at my house before the guests, and I might even save a bottle for you to drink with me.

With WBW #39 looming, and Turkey Day on the horizon, I headed to Chronicle Wine Cellar to see if I could find some burgundy that would fit Neil's brief. I'm in a comfortable rut drinking my Girardin second labels, but Neil suggested I try something else and happily Chronicle has a great selection of white burgundies right now. I scored a 2004 Domaine Larochette-Manciat Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Longeays ($15.95). They also had a Pouilly-Fuisse from this maker for under $20, a Girardin Rully for $24.95, and some other scrumptious looking white burgundies from the Cote de Beaune. When I was there Elizabeth was also packing some Portuguese reds (go figure...), including the 2004 Symington Altano made with Tinta Roriz and Tourgia Franca grapes ($6.95). They still have bottles of affordable and tasty Cono Sur wines on the shelves, too. Jerry Hall of Winewaves likes these Chilean pinots, so they're worth a try considering they are under $10 at Chronicle.

We're entering into the part of the calendar that I call "The Crazies." Beat the crowds and calm the hysteria by getting a few nice bottles into your house now. With these bottles safely in my possession, I can think about sipping Trincadeira Halloween night, and finding a good chicken dish to have with that Pouilly-Vinzelles.