Rose

Jun 19 2020

New Video: Meet A Rose from Aldi Called Trestoria

Hi everyone! You know we love Aldi wine and beer. And, given the current state of the economy, we’re spending more time at Aldi for just about everything*.

To wit, a little while back, we decided to experiment and see what Quarantine Beverages we could buy for a minimal amount of cash.

Hence this photo:

Aldi Aclohol Purchases — You don’t have to spend a lot to drink like a million bucks.

Today, we review the Trestoria Rose. (We’re looking for the accent mark, can’t find it, and are afraid that we’ll have one of those “&–” errors on the site, so…)

We’ll let you watch the video for the review.

Focus on the wine, not the fact I need a haircut

* The rest is either from Costco, and we do realize we need to update this “What to Buy at Costco” post, or from the local independent market, where the service is better than the chain and the specialty items we need, like the marjoram we bought on three separate occasions because we thought we were out of it.

Jul 02 2014

Espiral Vinho Rosé

Sometimes, in the sober light of day, you change your mind. Other times, you stick to your first impression.

In the case of the Espiral Vinho Rosé, which I said on Facebook was worthy of an “A” rating, there’s no way I’m changing my mind. This, my friends, is a darn good wine value – and, while in a different class and category (IMHO) than the Sofia reviewed here last week, actually earns more points. Extra credit, if you will.

The fact that it’s from Portugal adds to the allure – there’s got to be more to Portugal than Port and Vinho Verde, eh?

I found this at Trader Joe’s. I paid $5.99. I will buy more.

[Editor’s Note: If you don’t have Trader Joe’s near you, maybe try Aldi – well, not for THIS wine, but for other great values.]

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To the review!

Espiral Vinho Rosé Review

Taste

I don’t want to be one of THOSE wine bloggers, the ones who say “like summer in a glass!”

And, to be fair, this is closer to a bubbly to me – there’s a hint of effervescence.

Floral nose, a little bit of fruit but not at all sweet – like a dry champagne, y’all – and there’s a hint of peach. Clean finish. Food agnostic – I had barbecued chickent with it but could very well have had it solo. Because it’s like summer in a glass!

(I couldn’t resist.)

Espiral has done some really solid work – and this wine has been around awhile, it appears; check out this blog from 2012: The Winegetter. And they also do the Vinho Verde thing – which has to happen because, well, Portugal.

Profile

10% ABV. From Vina Nova de Gaia, Portugal. Learn more about that place right here.

Value

Where this wine EARNS its grade.

I don’t mean to get off on a rant here – but didja know there’s a site called Beergraphs and they have a metric called “Beers Above Replacement?” Or something like that.

The general concept – replicating that of baseball’s Wins Above Replacement – if you removed the beer and replaced it with something average, how much better (or worse) than average is this one?

Where they lose me is whether there’s actual Moneyball-esque value for what you’re paying for the replacement – like if movie ratings were based on dollars you should pay, not whether the movie is 4-stars.

So, this wine is better – MUCH better – than an average Rosé. And I paid $5.99, which makes it a tremendous value.

Metasip Grade: A

Not a minus. This is a solid, well-earned, well-deserved A.

Jun 25 2014

Sofia 2013 Rosé

Ready for a wine to become your go-to for summer drinkin’? Why yes, Sofia strikes again with her 2013 Rosé.

Sofia 2013 Rose — Francis’ Daughter, which you of course knew.

If you don’t know about Sofia, the person, a quick primer on the maker of the Sofia 2013 Rosé. Sofia is Sofia Coppola. Visiting the Wikipedia page tells me that she’s no longer married to Spike Jonze, which is a piece of pop culture that eluded me. This nugget must have been obscured by the Kardashians.

Digressions aside, the Coppola family – scion Francis also holds his own in the film industry – knows its wine, too, as Dad bought the former Chateau Souverain estate in Geyserville and started making wine.

When we write the sidebar piece about visiting Napa Valley, it will include this tip: visit just one of the big boys, such as Coppola, just to hear from the big boys, get the tour, understand the process, all that stuff. Then spend the rest of your time at places recommended by locals, friends, etc.

Sofia has been at it for awhile, and even got a 90-point rating from Wine Enthusiast for the 2011 vintage. How will the 2013 stack up, at least according to this reporter? Let’s get to the review.

Sofia 2013 Rosé Review

Taste

FACT: Americans don’t drink as much rosé as French. By insanely wide margins, as referenced in these charts from the French. Probably because of the following if/then logic issue that, I’ll admit, crosses my mind all the time:

IF White Zinfandel is pink AND White Zinfandel is swill, THEN all pink wine is swill.

In fact, it wasn’t til some other wine lovers hooked us up with some really really good rosé that my own thinking started to change.

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This, per the website, is a Rosé of Syrah, Pinot Noir and Grenache. (Ya know, reading that website makes me think that I should be capitalizing the word “Rosé.” Because it’s a variety of grape. Also, that stands out and I can then show off that I figured out how to do the accent aigu in Francais. (Now, about that cedille.)

This is not sweet. I don’t do sweet wine. I want something with a great nose – this has it – and some earthiness to it – this has that, too, probably the Pinot. Can’t taste like chalk (which I get from a lot of Chardonnays, personally; a surefire sign that I’m not spending enough on my Chardonnays).

Quintessential “summer drinkin’ wine.” An absolute delight – enjoyed some at the block party this past weekend and, well, it didn’t disappoint. Plus, stands up to lighter stuff you’re eating – which, in my case, was a salad. Not a steak wine at all, but that’s okay, because block parties aren’t about steak.

Profile

Syrah. Pinot. Grenache. Not sure how much of each. ABV of 12.8%

Value

$12.99 at Costco. SCORE! Website says you can pay $14 or so with a membership. My last time visiting Coppola’s Estate (the winery, not Frank’s house; don’t call him “Frank,” either) the person in the tasting room told me: “Don’t buy our wines here. You can get them cheaper anywhere else.” Smart marketing, though, to mark their own stuff up so it’s got some caché from buying it there. Or not.

EDITOR’S NOTE: On my most recent trip to Costco, this was $9.99, not $12.99. May not have been $12.99 at all – though we’ve had friends in other states tell us $12.99 was their price.

Metasip Grade: A-

Why doesn’t this get an A if it’s an “absolute delight?”

My thinking is this: at $12.99, without a lot to compare it with, I’m not sure it qualifies on all the scales for an A. It’s a great value – if you buy it at Costco. And it drinks more expensively. BUT, it’s not the right mix of Taste, Profile, and Value to justify an A.