As promised in a prior post, I have rolled out the first of the low price mixed wine case I purchased recently at Trader Joe's in Virginia Beach's Hilltop region. With the exception of one wine, all of the bottles were priced under $4.
The first sampling was an Espiral Vinho Verde from Portugal. Like most Vinho's this was a non-vintage bottling. Vinho's are meant to be drunk quickly, typically within months after bottling. A good Vinho will be light colored, slightly effervescent with firm acidity and fruit flavors--typically described as tart, citrus or pear-like. It is never a good idea to store a Vinho--drink it quickly. This wine is a blend of several grapes from the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. Because of the acidity and spritz the wine is a good pair with raw shellfish and spicy Asian foods such as Thai or sushi. On this night, we paired it with some spicy sushi from Taiko in Nags Head.
The Espiral was very lightly straw colored, almost clear. It possessed more spritz than many Vinho's. Notes were fruity and citrus like. On the palate however, the wine was rather flat in taste and acidity--lacking the punch of, say, Twin Vines (available at Chip's at MP 6 shopping center) that retails for about $9. As a result, I wouldn't recommend pairing it with food.
The wine is about 11% alcohol and can be served cold. With that kind of profile, the wine is perfect for summer sipping out of doors--the low alcohol content works well in hot weather and if you're not looking for a wine to stand up to food, the Espiral is an excellent economical choice. Our verdict--use it for parties, especially in hot weather. A case would run you less than $48. If you want a Vinho Verde to pair with food, I would still stick with Twin Vines--it is cheap and bursting with flavor and possesses a firm backbone.
An Expensive Merlot
We served up some baby back ribs last week using the method where they spend about 2 hours in the oven wrapped in foil & Saran wrap and then about 15 minutes on the grill. I seldom, if ever buy wines that cost more than $25 a bottle. This isn't a money issue per se, its simply that I find expensive wines don't taste "x" amount of dollars better than lesser priced wines. Typically you can find wines rated 88-91 under $20 and for me, I can't really taste a four point difference for a 95 rated wine costing $50.
I'm not sure how I came to own the 2003 Miner Stagecoach Vineyard Merlot, I suspect it was a gift. The wine retails for about $38. Since it was now about seven years old, I decided to pop it open. Merlot's are generally soft reds and we were using a sweeter (Jack Daniels) rather than hot BBQ sauce, so I felt the pairing of Merlot and pork would work.
Not all reds are meant to age, and I suspect this one had peaked already. On the nose there was slight oak and chocolate tones. The tannins were not silky however, more dusty in mouthfeel. Flavors were jammy--cherry and chocolate and dark fruit jam. But the wine was a little flat in the flavor profile, a sign it had probably peaked. I know the wine was sold locally at the Old Firehouse Wine store in Kitty Hawk when it was open, so some locals may still be hanging on to a bottle or two. It's a well balanced wine, but has definitely peaked, so if one is chillin' in your wine storage area, break it out. I suspect when this wine peaked, it was a great red.
As to the price, there are plenty of less expensive Merlot wines that can deliver equivalent flavor and balance. So, even though many wine lovers seek out older vintages, if you happen to come across the vintage on a retail shelf I'd pass based on price and the fact it has peaked.
I'm not sure how I came to own the 2003 Miner Stagecoach Vineyard Merlot, I suspect it was a gift. The wine retails for about $38. Since it was now about seven years old, I decided to pop it open. Merlot's are generally soft reds and we were using a sweeter (Jack Daniels) rather than hot BBQ sauce, so I felt the pairing of Merlot and pork would work.
Not all reds are meant to age, and I suspect this one had peaked already. On the nose there was slight oak and chocolate tones. The tannins were not silky however, more dusty in mouthfeel. Flavors were jammy--cherry and chocolate and dark fruit jam. But the wine was a little flat in the flavor profile, a sign it had probably peaked. I know the wine was sold locally at the Old Firehouse Wine store in Kitty Hawk when it was open, so some locals may still be hanging on to a bottle or two. It's a well balanced wine, but has definitely peaked, so if one is chillin' in your wine storage area, break it out. I suspect when this wine peaked, it was a great red.
As to the price, there are plenty of less expensive Merlot wines that can deliver equivalent flavor and balance. So, even though many wine lovers seek out older vintages, if you happen to come across the vintage on a retail shelf I'd pass based on price and the fact it has peaked.
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