With those guidelines in mind, I started to look for wines around town and frankly didn’t find a whole lot of choices until I ventured to one of the urban wine stores in Minneapolis. I selected two wines, a white and a red, made by producers I was unfamiliar with and regions I had never tasted before. One of the wines was even made from a grape variety I had not tried, Alfrocheiro Preto.

The white was made in DO Estremadura just northwest of Lisbon from 100% Alvarinho. This grape is mostly known here in the U.S. by it’s Spanish name Albariño and is one of my favorite white varietals. According to a fine piece over at Catavino, Estremadura is the second largest wine producing region in Portugal with 311,000 hectoliters produced annually. This wine is produced by DFJ Vinhos, which seems like a fairly large operation from their website, with a wide range of single varietal and blends, but there was not much else about their background from the sparse information there (in English, anyway).

DFJ Vinhos, “Grand’ Arte” Alvarinho (Albariño), Estremadura, Portugal 2005 ($9 on closeout)

Straw yellow in color with aromas of citrus and white peach. Refreshing grapefruit and mineral flavors finishing bone dry with good acidity. More in the lighter Pinot Grigio style than the ripe and generous Albariño I have come to appreciate more this summer. I think this wine is getting a bit past it’s prime but it’s still a nice example of Alvarinho that would pair nicely with a salad on a warm afternoon.

12.5% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 86
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

My second selection was more in line with what popped into my brain when I first heard about this theme. A lot of very nice red wines from Portugal are appearing on wine store shelves and this is a nice example of what can be found for less than $15. It’s a blend of Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro Preto, two indigenous red varieties. Touriga Nacional is the best known as the lead grape used in Porto but it’s also getting quite popular in table wines. Alfrocheiro Preto is a bit more obscure but is an important grape in the Dão region where this wine was made by a cooperative. The Dão is south of the Douro Valley where their red wines must contain a minimum of 20% Touriga Nacional for some reason.

C.V.R. DAO, Quinta dos Grilos, Vinho Tinto, Dão, Portugal 2004 ($14)

Inky purple-black in color with aromas of strawberry, cherry liqueur, minerals and licorice. Rich in the mouth with juicy raspberry and cherry fruit, a touch of black pepper and plush tannins. A bit like a Petite Sirah in the color, body and tannin department but the flavor profile is more like a Syrah-Pinot Noir blend (think big Cali Pinot). A very satisfying wine that would pair well with roasted meats.

13% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 88
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

So another great Wine Blogging Wednesday comes to a close with two very nice wines to pick up and enjoy. Thanks once again to our hosts this month, Gabriella and Ryan from Catavino . I’m looking forward to next month where we’ll be searching for affordable Burgundy. Look for the announcement soon over at the Brooklynguy’s Wine and Food Blog.

Show notes:
00:20 - Welcome and show theme
00:35 - Vinho Verde background
02:59 - Tasting Notes
03:13 - Gazela, Vinho Verde NV, Bottled 2005 ($8)
03:44 - Portal do Fidalgo, Vinho Verde, Estate Bottled 2003 ($10)
04:28 - Vercoope, “Pavão”, Vinho Verde NV, Bottled 2005 ($7)
04:54 - Best of tasting and best value
05:11 - Starting a cellar with a mixed case*
10:15 - Poll results
12:03 - Listener comments
15:28 - Contact details
15:52 - Next show theme

* The Winecast Mixed Case #1:
- Champagne: Taittinger Brut ($30) from Winecast 3
- Cabernet Sauvignon: Clos du Val, Napa Valley 2001 ($25) from Winecast 22
- Chardonnay: Cambra, Katherine’s Vineyard ($16) from Winecast 16
- Zinfandel: Seghesio, Zinfandel, Sonoma County 2003 ($17)
- Crisp, dry white: Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2001 ($15) from Winecast 27
- Gewurztraminer: Cuvee Anne-Laure, Gewurztraminer 2003, Alsace ($11) from Winecast 21
- Italian Red: Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 ($17) from Winecast 9
- Bordeaux-style blend: Peter Lehmann, “Clancy’s”, Barossa Valley 2002 ($16) from Winecast 26
- Riesling: WWE. Dr. H. Thanisch, Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 2001 ($12) from Winecast 5
- Bodegas Javier Asensio, “Torsa” Tinto, Navarra, Spain 2003 ($8)
- Beaujolais: Georges Duboeuf, Morgon “Jean Descombes” 2003 ($9) from Winecast 14
- Dessert Wine: Weingut Ochs, Gewurztraminer Beerenauslese 2001, Weiden am See ($15/half bottle)

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Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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