This may have been the most amount of food I have ever received for $23, including tip!. I needed a doggie bag for the salad! I couldn’t finish my Fruit di Mare. That required two doggie bags! Oh, and we brought our own wine!
2008 Casa de Vila Verde Vinho Verde (Portugal) – blend of Alvarinho, Loureiro, and other Portuguese grapes“I find the wines from this estate a bit of a hybrid—a cross between new and old. They lack the power and intensity of new wave Vinho Verde, but they have a bit more substance than some of the “here today, gone tomorrow” low end products, and they are well priced. When tasted in the Spring of 2009, this was showing more acidity than I usually get from this bottling, but I expect it to come together nicely. The price point is excellent for what it is, a relatively friendly and fruity wine with some citrus notes, easy to drink (11.5% alcohol), with good acidity on the finish.” Drink now-2010. Rated 86 The Wine Advocate
2007 Mountain View Chardonnay Central Coast (California) – Chardonnay grape
“Some of the best values in the marketplace come from Mountain View. Smart consumers should buy these wines by the case…” Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate Vin de Vin (VdV): “We can’t have too many wine tastings without Chardonnay. After all it is the #1 white wine in the world. Very nice, everyday Chardonnay without being too heavy or too oaky.”
2008 Whitehaven Pinot Noir Marlborough (New Zealand) – Pinot Noir grape“A precise and balanced wine, with a fine tannin structure and a supple, velvety texture. Layers of flavour are revealed and linger on the long finish.” whitehaven.co.nz VdV: New Zealand Pinot Noir is en fuego (on fire!) If you like Burgundy but can’t afford it, which I can’t, this wine is for you!
2005 Ballast Stone Petit Verdot Currency Creek (Australia) – Petit Verdot grape“Opaque ruby. Brooding aromas of blackcurrant, licorice and espresso, with a mounting vanilla quality. Oak-driven cherry-vanilla and dark chocolate on the palate, with a finish featuring gentle tannins and a late note of candied licorice. This sweetly oak wine needs a grilled piece of red meat.” Rated: 87 by Josh Raynolds, Jul/Aug 09 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
2007 Red Rock Winery Merlot Reserve (California) – Merlot grape“A sleeper of the vintage as well as an outstanding bargain, the 2007 Merlot is fashioned from 50% Sonoma fruit, 10% from Napa, and 40% from Central Coast regions. Small amounts of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon have been added to the blend. Elegant mocha and dark berry fruit are followed by a medium-bodied, silky-textured red that tastes as if it should cost 2-3 times the price. It is meant to be drunk during its first 2-3 years of life to take advantage of its exuberant, fruity youthfulness.” Rated 88 by The Wine Advocate
2008 Conquista Malbec Mendoza (Argentina) – Malbec grape“Light and forward, with slightly sweet cherry and plum fruit backed by a dash of spice.” Wine Spectator
VdV: “Ok, you may know Argentina is the largest producer of cattle (and in turn, leather) in the world. As a result Argentineans consume more steak than any other people on the planet. They also drink wine with their “asado” or BBQ steak. What is their national wine? Malbec. And it goes oh so well…”