First a quick note about our friendly neighbor chef Otto, of Lima Limon. He has a new online ordering platform and you can click here to order his delicious food. If you have not yet tried Lima Limon, you should do so soon. We may be partial to their fabulous pupusas, but across the board we are excited about Lima Limon's cooking. Keep an eye out for Otto's delicious Causa Peruana (pictured above). We recently got a sneak preview of this fabulous dish and can't wait for it to appear on the menu.
You've probably had some Vinho Verde, Portugal's "green wine", typically an easy-drinking light white with a touch of effervescence and sweetness. You have probably not had any Vinho Verde Tinto, a red "green" wine. Though its name refers to a style of wine that is most often sold very young, Vinho Verde DOC is also controlled regional designation, and pink and red wines are made there, though they are much less common than the whites. Vinhão is the major red grape in Vinho Verde and it is so prodigiously endowed with anthocyanins (molecules that impart dark purple colors) that it has often been mistaken as a teinturier (a rare type of grape with red or purple flesh). Aside from being know to produce dark wines, Vinhão is also known as a harsh and rustic grape, an estimation put to bed by Aphros, one of our favorite Portuguese wineries.
As of late we are rather obsessed with Aphros, a biodynamic winery in Vinho Verde that seems to have a magic touch. Their 2018 Vinhão features aromas of candied and fresh black and blue fruits, a little white flowers, and cooling herbs, as well as touches of contrasting crème brûlée and petrichor. Super tart, with very smooth tannins (but not a lot of them), and tons of ripe fruit, so the acid doesn't end up being so marked. It is exuberantly juicy and zippy, with intense pure fruit through the finish. Pretty much a must-try, if you ask us.
Aphros Vinhão 2018 - $19