Boozy McGuzzles

BOOZE TYPE: Wine
PRICE: $11.99 at Astor Center
RATING: A+

As I said in my very first review here at Boozy McGuzzles, Cline wines are an amazing and lovely thing. The one afternoon I spent in Sonoma was so special and so wonderful, that whenever I see a wine from any of the three wineries we visted (Mayo Family Winery, Chateau St. Jean, and Cline Cellars), I sort of feel compelled to buy them. They’re the most beloved wines of my dear friends, and they’re just damn good.

When I was celebrating… something… possibly the fact that it was Friday? Maybe I’d just gotten paid? I don’t know, but there was some reason I was buying a large number of bottles of wine (mostly vinho verdes, as it is summer), and I espied a Cline wine in the liquor store’s refrigerated case, and I had no choice but to buy it. I’d likely had some whites in my tasting when I was there, but none that I could remember. I am beginning to think myself a fan of Viogniers, so I was happy to snap it up.

And oh, oh, it was so lovely. This was a wine that was just enchanting, especially for its price. It had a heady aroma of peaches, but was not overly sweet; that was the real amazing thing about it, the way it managed its sweetness. This wine had all these wonderful notes of honey and sweet fruits, but without really being sweet or cloying at all. Absolutely beautiful.

BUY IT AGAIN: Oh, yes.

BOOZE TYPE: Wine
PRICE: $7.99 at (you guessed it) Astor Center
RATING: A

Honestly, I don’t know why I even bother to review vinho verde wines, because I’ve never met one I didn’t like. But today’s trip to the liquor store (as I am on VACATION and will be until next Monday, and thus will spend the whole time drinking and playing video games) revealed that Astor had a new vinho verde in stock! One I had never had before! Naturally, I snapped it up. It’s at a slightly higher price point than the general vinho verde stock, but still under $10.

Casa de Sezim is not nearly as bubbly as many of the other vinho verde wines I’ve tried; I have a suspicion this has something to do with its higher alcohol content. Most vinho verdes run between 9-10% alcohol; this one is 12.5%. But, this lack of effervescence does not make it any less of a wine. It’s a little heavier on the tongue, and doesn’t have the strong lemony, citrusy flavor that a lot of other vinho verdes have. This, instead, has a strong scent of peach! I would call this one a more serious vinho verde, better suited to go with food–it sort of begs for seafood, or something a little spicy–than the usual light sippin’ wine that is other vinho verdes.

I really have no idea what the proper way to pluralize vinho verde is. Forgive me, I don’t speak Portuguese. But if I keep loving Portuguese wines this much, I’m going to have to learn.

BUY IT AGAIN: Of course!