Some wines benefit from decanting, and this is one of them.   Pretty closed when I first opened the bottle, but after an hour the fruit, tobacco and spice start to show off.   Initial notes of cherry, sweet cigar smoke, vanilla.   Cherry is the dominant fruit but oooh, a bit of plum too!    But don’t get me wrong… this wine is fruit forward on the nose but the mouthfeel and finish are astringent.   Try this one with food…  would be delicious with grilled sausage, and also with creamy cheeses.   Something fatty to stand up to the acid in this wine.

$15/bottle

Triple

Alvarinho is – as I had suspected –  Portuguese for Albarino, also known as a grape that makes a pretty fantastic wine for a 100+ degree day.   This lower in alcohol, delicate white wine has great stonefruit and tropical notes.   Peach comes out immediately but then it blends with the citrusy notes for a refreshing mouthfeel and finish.   Excellent bright fruit.   This wine would be delicious with ceviche, a salad, or just enjoy it on its own… it is light enough to be an aperitif.

After trying this wine, I would love to find more albarino (alvarinho) from Portugal.   I found this bottle at my local Whole Foods, and will seek out others!

$12.99/bottle (sale price, regular is $15)

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