August 3 Aveleda Vinho Verde lunch at Biago's

The Date and Time:  Friday, August 3, 2012   12:30 PM to 3 PM
The Event: Aveleda Vinho Verde tasting with Pedro Costa, winemaker and
educator at Aveleda. This is part of the Vinho verde August restaurant
promotion.
The Venue: Biago's Ristorante
The Target Audience: wine writers
The Availability/Catalogue: all three wines are in the LCBO
The Quote/Background: Pedro described the company and took us through
the mini-tasting before we had lunch. Aveleda is the biggest producer
of fresh Vinho verde, at less than 14 million bottles. Their estate of
180 hectares gives them 15% of their total grapes; the rest are bought.
The Wines:

 

Aveleda Vinho Verde 2011, +5322 LCBO, $8.95 plus 5 Bonus reward miles
in August (+38683 LCBO, 1500mL, $15.95 plus 10 Bonus reward miles in
August): 40% Loureiro grapes, balance trajadura and arinto – a field
blend from purchased grapes. Twist top, 10% ABV. 3.5 million bottles
sold around the world from the largest producer of Vinho verde. Spritz
from added CO2. Lemony finish, fresh fruit, off-dry complexity. Serve
chilled.

 

Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde 2011, +89995 LCBO, $9.95: made from their
own "sustainable" estates (180 Ha), with natural CO2 and a cork finish.
Higher alcohol at 11.5% ABV. More body, more lemons, more
stoniness/minerality. Definitely a food wine for first courses rather
than a party/patio sipper. From Loureiro grapes, with 20% Alvarinho for
added tropicality. Serve chilled.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Aveleda Alvarinho [Vinho Verde] 2011, (+59048 Vintages, $15.95 for
2010 vintage; 2011 will be in shortly at about $13), 12% ABV

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price
Rating terms):
-Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde 2011, +89995, $9.95 (with Loureiro and
Alvarinho), 11.5% ABV

 

*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Aveleda Vinho Verde 2011, +5322, $8.95, 10.5% ABV.

 

The Food: we began with an excellent seafood risotto (clams, mussels,
and shrimp), followed by veal scaloppini in a Vinho verde sauce and/or
grilled salmon with a Vinho verde sauce. Dessert was pannacotta. I
chewed on focaccia with the two Vinho verde blends, and had some
Alvarinho with the veal. Delicious food and wine matches.
The Contact Person: spuritt@sympatico.ca
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade):
90.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com