by Ethan Johnson
January 3, 2007

I haven't done any wine write-ups lately, partly because I haven't been drinking any, and partly because what wines I have tasted lately were not worthy of mentioning. It's not fair to trash a wine that is decidedly over the hill but I tried drinking anyway. Let's see what's in the wine fridge:

Producer (Vineyard): Caves de Cerca
Varietal (Grape type): 40% Asal, 30% Avesso and 30% Pedernã
Vintage (Year): 2006
Country: Portugal
Color: White
Cost: Inexpensive ($7 USD)

Swirl and Sniff: As the name suggests, this is faintly green. It's incredibly pale, however; enough that I had to really stare at it to detect the color. Sniff-wise, it came off as really citrusy.

Taste: I'm told that the mystery flavor I am wanting to identify is "honeysuckle". But I don't recall ever tasting the real thing, so I'll say that it's incredibly tart, wavering between grapefruit, granny smith apples, and lemon.

Pairing: I drank this with really tomatoey meatless spaghetti. Ya'd think that the citrus bomb of a wine would play well with the acidic sauce. That would be an incorrect assumption. The wine won, which is bad.

Rating: When it comes to this wine, I would (and you may):

• Buy three or more bottles for regular enjoyment
• Buy a bottle or two for occasional enjoyment
• Ask for when dining out or at a party
• Settle for if your preferred wine is not available
• Politely decline and never drink again, ever

This wine is such a citrus blast, and as the wine shop owner told me when I bought it, it's actually "fizzy". I think this wine might serve as a better mixer. It has a single digit alcohol content, which is a plus, I suppose.

If you do give this a try, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>

(The Totally Unpretentious Wine Reviews Index may be found here.)