Since this blog is all things "farm", one of those things we enjoy is a nice glass of wine. Now let me emphasize, we are not the 'wine types' that can identify the different notes (scents and tastes) in a particular wine. My usual response is "oh it tastes like a field a bluebonnets with kittens and puppies and rainbows" which usually elicits a laugh or two.
In the most recent issue of Country Living (thanks Kelly) they recommended a great deal for a bottle of wine. It's a Portuguese wine called Vinho Verde.
For their recommendation, they suggested the Famega (on the left). We were at the store and I saw this Gazela (on the right) and since it was also the same Portuguese variety, we decided to pick it up. WOW, it's our new favorite hot summer wine (and trust me, it's hot down here now, 104 a few days ago). Anyway, we put it in the freezer for a couple of hours to get it ice cold (don't leave too long in the freezer, the low alcohol content will cause it to freeze). We opened it, poured it into a wine glass and it actually had bubbles! Not like Champagne or anything else "sparkling", it's just a very light kind of bubble, just enough to stick to the sides of the glass but not enough that it's going to fizz up and overflow if you shook it. I can't describe the taste with all the official terms, I'm just going to describe it as REALLY GOOD. It's the perfect wine for hot days, and one interesting feature is its low alcohol content, only about 9%, which means you can have an extra glass! It's slightly sweet, light on the palate, and best served when really cold, hence the reason it's so good on a hot summer day. Another advantage? It's only about $6.00 a bottle!
We kept ours in the refrigerator for a couple of days after it was opened, and it might have lost just a slight bit of it's natural fizz, but it didn't lose any taste. Of course, it's so good, it rarely lasts longer enough for us to keep it long enough to worry about that, ha.
The other day we finally found the Famega brand and so we tried it. It was a bit stronger, but not really to our liking. It seemed a bit "heavier". It's funny how the same wine from the same grapes but different wineries can be so different in taste.
Both are made with the Loureiro grape shown below.
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| Loureiro Grapes |
(or is that "farmhouse summer wine"?).
SIDE NOTE: We've been firm believers that it's fun to try new wines, that way you can find what you like, and then once you find one you like, you can use it as your house red, or white or whatever it is you like.
In our mud room, we want to get one of those small refrigerated wine coolers that holds both reds and whites, keeping them at the appropriate temperatures. More on that when it happens!
Glad I could be of assistance - lol. One of our favorite things to do during the summer (our nights are usually in the 70s or 80s) is sit by the fire pit in our swing built for two with a glass of wine and listen to the frogs and crickets. So next time you have a glass, have one for me and I'll do the same.
ReplyDeleteAnd here is a toast from dear friend Laura, who I met in my next insurance office after I left you...
Here's to you, here's to me, hope we never disagree.
If we do, screw you, here's to me.
Enjoy, and I just might have to send you some wine from the winery about 20 miles from here!!!