Vinho Verde - Portugese summer sipper

by Maggie Bernat Smith

If you’ve never had the wines of Portugal, you should definitely put them on your radar this summer. Portugal is becoming better known not just for their fortified dessert wine they are famous for, but also for their very reasonable red and white “every day” wines.

The wine known as Vinho Verde is the slightly effervescent wine that stems from the Northwest region of Portugal. The name Vinho Verde literally means “green wine” which refers to its youthful character. It is such a perfectly refreshing wine on these hot summer days in Chicago. Casal Garcia who is known as one of the best producers in the region is our featured wine this week. Its light body, fizzy effervescence, the high acidity, and whispers of citrus fruits and flowers (and low low price of $8) make it the perfect patio pounder!

The red wines should not be missed either. The main grape that they are known for is Touriga Nacional which is considered to be Portugal’s finest and is typically blended with other indigenous varieties for similar reasons they blend different varietals in Bordeaux. Touriga Nacional has similar characteristics to Cabernet Sauvignon as it provides tannin, structure and black fruit characteristics to the wine. Just like in Bordeaux, the French blend other grapes in with Cabernet Sauvignon to “soften” or bring different flavors and textures to the wine and the Portuguese take on those same traditions.

The Espirito Lagoalva from Portugal is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Castelao described as “the light raspberry fruit of Castelao is complemented elegantly by Touriga's deeper blackberry and pepper flavors, with a warm aroma and soft, sweet tannins. This is the perfect red for drinking as an aperitif as well as complementing a wide range of cuisines.” This delight is only $11 at The Noble Grape and the Casal Garcia Vinho Verde can also be picked up there as well.

Noble Grape is located at 802 N. Bishop St, basically Chicago and Noble. They feature free weekly wine tastings every Wednesday and Friday from 6pm - 8pm, stop in and try a taste. There is no better way to find out what you like and why!

Hate Chardonnay? Try Chablis!

by Maggie Bernat Smith

It's been fashionable in the last few years to completely break up with grape varietals like you would a tired old boyfriend that none of your friends like; however what if you discovered that your old boyfriend went to charm school, got a $60 haircut and started shopping at hip clothing boutiques? This is what I feel is happening to grape types like Chardonnay and Merlot that people love to hate lately. Chardonnay, Merlot and God forbid White Zin is actually what got Americans drinking wine in the first place. People loved the oaky-buttery Chardonnay, the easy drinking, lush, fruit-driven Merlot but somewhere along the way, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir kicked these grapes to the curb and have been gaining more and more fans with every vintage.

Chardonnay is still my all time favorite grape varietal after all these years of tasting wine from around the world. It's history begins and ends (as far as I'm concerned) in the region of Burgundy France and is the benchmark of Chardonnay at its best. The French have a long history of planting different grape varietals in different regions, soil types and climates to see what best expresses the land and are considered to be the experts. Chardonnay they found best expresses the region of Burgundy. Since the old world names their wines by the region they come from instead of the grape type, few know that 99.9% of any white wine from Burgundy is Chardonnay.

If you've never tried Chablis before (and I'm not talking about the $5 jug wine from the 70's), then you've never had the most purest form of Chardonnay on the planet. Chablis is the region north of Burgundy and 99% of all they do is pure, unadulterated Chardonnay. If they use oak on their wine, it's neutral oak and only used to oxidize the wine not to add flavor. Chablis is known for their kimmeridgian soil which is a chalky, limestone, and clay soil litered with fossils of sea creature (Chablis was once under a sea in ancient times). This soil type and the fact that they are so far north makes this very steely, minerally, flinty Chardonnay.

The winemaker from William Fevre (one of the biggest and best producers in Chablis) says he spends 99% of his time tending to his vineyards because without good grapes, there is no good wine. His goal is to really make the land speak to you through the voice of Chardonnay. If you are a Chardonnay-hater, give Chablis a try, it's so crisp and clean and perfect for these hot summer days. I guarantee that you wouldn't even recognize this form of Chardonnay, it's so fresh and so clean and so delicous!

Food pairing tip - nothing goes better with oysters on the half shell.