With a dinner of an arugula salad with broiled lemons and a pasta with clams (included cheese, usually I go with the Italian nocheesewithseafood, but this was damn good) we had a Rueda, the 2002 Naia. Crisp wine with gooseberries and a litttle grass, plus another unidentifiable flavor- wait, Betsy says cucumber. Hey, I think she's pretty close. Unusual and tasty wine, good deal ($8). B/B+
A friend chose a Portugese/Brazilian place for his birthday dinner Friday. We had an assortment of starters, including broiled Portugese sardines and steamed NZ mussels.The first Vinho Verde we choose was out of stock, but someone said "sure" when the waiter suggested an alternative Vinho Verde. This Alvelada (I'm guessing NV, but didn't inspect closely) was pretty damn good. Light-bodied, good acidity and nice citric fruit, plenty of minerality and an intriguing brininess. B+ We drank some then ordered another bottle. 3 out of 6 glasses probably still had some wine from the first bottle when a busboy appeared and started filling glasses. I thought "poor service" as they didn't offer the bottle for inspection, then as I reached for my glass noticed a puzzled expression on the face of the friend opposite: "Is this the same wine?" Well, yes, just with a huge dose of dirty socks and wet cardboard. I will state for the record if you want a good example of TCA, find a corked bottle of Vinho Verde. The lightness of the wine gives the TCA a nice tabula rasa. They brought another bottle and new glasses. Though I realized later the service faux pas actually cost us the wine already in the glasses, too - of course, I had finished MINE from first bottle, so no harm done. :)
A cleverer writer could come up with a good quip re the irony of corked Portugese wine, but I'm just too tired/lazy.
I kept some Vinho Verde in my glass so I could sample with my neighbors' langostines and zarauela (sp?), but since I was getting suckling pig though I'd get something meatier. A friend and I split a bottle of 2000 Quinta de Parrotes Alenquer (perquita and cabernet sauvignon). Good acidity, medium-body, dark berry fruit. Could pass for a Cotes du Rhone. Nice, but unexciting. B
Others had dessert, I had a glass of 1994 Quinta do Noval LBV. Sweet, ripe, good black fruit and a hintof Chinese 5 spice. B/B+
Saturday night it was just Betsy and I. She had been marinating pork ribs in lime, soy sauce, chiles, cinammon, ginger, molasses, star anise, and pineapple for a day. Very tasty ribs, I served the 2001 Viña Alarba Old Vines Grenache (Calatayud). This cost a whopping $4.50 for a 750. Pleasant light-bodied wine, black plum fruit and a spice/herb note on finish. Ranks just behind the Borsao as best under $5 wine I've tried in last few years. B/B+
Sunday we drove to Portland, Maine for a music festival. Dinner that night was at home of one of the director's parents (the father is a prominent art dealer who moonlights as a professional wrestler. Really. I swear). Cool house, filled with late 19th and early 20th century American art. Nice dinner with a scallop main course, I eyed the 2001 Woodbridge Chardonnay warily, and thought beer and water was way to go. But over a nice long evening of conversation, I eventually took a taste. I was prepared to rake this wine over the AFW coals. But I have to say it really wasn't that bad. Good apple/pear chardonnay aromas, way softer than my preference (it would have been awful with food), but the oak wasn't overpowering (though present), I'd give it a B- (but a C with food).
Hopefully these notes are semi-coherent, I got up before 4:30 this AM to drive back to NY to work. Grade disclaimer: I'm a pretty easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.
Dale
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