Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things we taste tested on your behalf.
2019 Vinha da Coutada Velha, Vinho Branco, Regional Alentejo - $15.99
About an hour east of Lisbon lies the warm dry region of the Alentejo. Long known for its vast cork forests, vineyards are best found where granite and schist meet loamy soils. Deep robust reds are the norm, here, but native thick-skinned whites, too, can show expressive results. This week's selection is a great example. From a blend of 3 native Portuguese varietals, this full-bodied dry white wine opens with a funky, almost riesling-like, nose with hints of vanilla. The plush palate is of tree fruit, almonds, minerals, toasted oak, and a dash of lemon, held together by a brace of mouthwatering acidity (inherent in the Arinto grape used in the blend). I really enjoyed this surprisingly complex wine. It drinks well above its price point and will be a great choice to match up with an Easter ham, this weekend!
-Patrick
2016 Brisebarre Vouvray Sec - $21.99
Chenin Blanc and an Easter holiday meal go together like cookies and milk and this beauty is no exception! No flashy package on this one, all the magic is inside the bottle with an aging potential for years and this 2016 is hitting its stride. Notes of green apple and pear, a creamy mid-palate and focused acidity to lend an assist for all your ham and mashed potato needs. Pairs perfectly with egg hunts and family gatherings.
-Angie
2019 Vaughn Duffy, Bartolomei Brother Vyd, Carignane, Mendocino - $27.99
Sara Vaughn and Matt Duffy source this red from the Bartolomei Brothers Vineyard's 80-year-old, head-trained vines of Carignane in Ukiah, Mendocino County. This wine shows aromas and flavors of black cherry, fresh pomegranate, dried violet with an earthy minerality throughout. This carignane is light to medium-bodied with supple tannins and crunchy finish. The Vaughn Duffy Carignane is your one stop shop for all of your Easter pairings whether you're having a honey glazed hamb or a beautiful rack of lamb this is the wine you want!
-Nick Z.
Monte Rio Cellars, Mission, California - $27.99
There are a few different reasons for highlighting this wine this week. If you don't spend the majority of your time in wine shops, you may not realize that fresh, fruity reds made in the carbonic (or semi-carbonic) method are seriously on trend and while we may be swept away on a shining wave of ruby colored juicy-juice, many of them are stylistically interesting as well as crushably thirst quenching. Monte Rio Cellars, a joint project between Pax Mahle of Pax Cellars and sommelier Patrick Capiello, is an attempt to capture a fantastic vision of a previous California wine style accentuating a rustic and straightforward style using the hearty, workhorse grapes that thrive there. Their Mission wine is made from 80 year old vines. It's 100% carbonic and has some nice dusty tannin to go with it's overt bright cherry flavor.
The other reason for featuring such a wine is ham. This salty staple of many an Easter dinner is thought to be a tough wine pairing. All it really takes, though is a shift in perspective. Ham's intense saltiness pairs well with fruitier even off dry wines, both white and red. If you require red wine on holidays, anyone of these new wave fresh fruity reds will shine. Inquire within.
- David
Granada-Vallet Bitter Aperitif - $33.99
In the 1860s, Henri Vallet moved from France to Mexico and began producing a line of herbal liqueurs inspired by Italian aperitivi and amari that is still produced in Mexico today. The botanical profile of the Granada - the red bitter of the line - includes pomegranate, gentian, wormwood, orange, cinnamon, and kaffir lime (among others), all of which are tightly integrated by a round mouthfeel and a softer, more subtle bitterness than other red aperitivi. Also unlike many others in this category, this bottling is still dyed with Oaxacan cochineal, the beetle dye that used to give Campari & Aperol their signature hues. All considered, this expression brings an herbaceous depth to classic Negronis and Boulevardiers & is excellent on its own with a splash of Topo Chico. Definitely do not sleep on this one.
-Nick S.
