Behind the Cork™ - Lisboa Bonita Red Blend

Lisboa Bonita Red Blend ($19)

Casa Santos Lima is a multi-generational, family-owned winery that stands as one of Portugal's most prolific and highly decorated wine producers. Based at its primary estate, Quinta da Boavista in Alenquer (just north of Lisbon), it has evolved from a historic family trade into a global powerhouse.

The winery was established in the late 19th century by Joaquim Santos Lima, who was already a prominent producer and exporter of Portuguese wine to the UK and Brazil.

In 1990, his great-grandson, José Luís Santos Lima Oliveira da Silva, left a successful career in banking and finance to take over the family estate.

This Lisboa Bonita red blend is produced from Castelão (25%), Caladoc (25%), Tinta Roriz (20%), Alicante Bouschet (15%), and Touriga Franca (15%) grapes. It is a beautiful deep purple color with nice dark fruit aromas. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has lots of dark fruit flavors such as plum, blackberry, and blueberry, while the oak aging infuses notes of chocolate and vanilla. The tannins are bold and benefit from an hour in a decanter. 

This Lisboa Bonita red blend is a tasty one from Portugal. And, at this price, it’s a great value too, which makes it this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

A Tour of Wine Grapes: Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo 🍷

Nebbiolo (neb-ee-oh-low) is one of Italy’s top red wine grapes, most famous for its role in the Piedmont (pyeh-MON-teh) region.

Nebbiolo is ancient royalty. The first written record of the grape dates all the way back to 1268 in a document from the Rivoli region of Piedmont. It has been beloved by Italian nobility, popes, and kings for over 700 years.

The name Nebbiolo comes from "nebbia," the Italian word for fog. This may come from the late October harvest, when it is typical for a thick fog to roll through the valleys and blanket the Piedmont hillsides. Or, just as likely, it refers to the fact that the grapes develop a milky, fog-like white powder (called bloom) over their dark skins as they mature.

While Nebbiolo is the grape, you’ll also see wines produced from this grape labeled as “Barolo” and “Barbaresco.” These are specific Italian regions that are legally required to use 100% Nebbiolo grapes.

In the glass, wines made from Nebbiolo look incredibly pale. It has a translucent, brick-orange or ruby tint that might make you think it will taste light and soft, like a Pinot Noir. But the moment you take a sip, you’ll experience its massive, mouth-drying tannins and sharp acidity.

Nebbiolo is famously described as having aromas of "tar and roses." It is a bit of a paradox, mixing scents of cherry, cranberry, and raspberry along with rose petals, licorice, and anise.

Flavors include sour cherry, cranberry, raspberry, and red currant. As it ages, it can develop notes of blood orange, black licorice, and black pepper, along with some tobacco leaf.

Nebbiolo is considered to be one of the greatest aging grapes in the world because of its high tannins and acidity. While young, its flavors are bright and intensely fruit-forward. But with age (10 to 20+ years), the wine develops savory, earthy, and complex notes (the classic “tar and roses” profile). Age also causes it to lose its color quickly; a 10-year-old bottle often takes on a orange, brick-like, or amber hue.

Nebbiolo should be served in a large, wide-bowled glass to capture its aromas. The ideal serving temperature is 60°F to 64°F, after decanting for 1 to 2 hours.

Because it is highly acidic and has strong, mouth-drying tannins, it pairs best with rich, fatty foods such as meats and cheeses.

Behind the Cork™ - Vitis Ridge Pinot Gris

2023 Vitis Ridge Pinot Gris ($16)

The Vitis Ridge winery was originally founded and operates as an equal four-way partnership between two couples: Chris and Sharon Deckelmann, and Bruce and Sally Eich..  What started as a hobby in the garage over 20 years ago has evolved into one of the North Willamette Valley's most popular wineries.

Established in 2005, Vitis Ridge is producing about 3,000 cases annually. They focus on unique wines and specialty blends and are currently offering 30 varietals.

Their Estate vineyards are comprised of nearly 150 acres and include Pinot Noir, Maréchal Foch, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Muscat.  They also bring in grapes from vineyards throughout the Northwest to provide a broader range of offerings and interesting terrior differences.

This Vitis Ridge Pinot Gris is sourced from their estate vineyards located in Silverton, Oregon. It was processed entirely in stainless steel tanks. It is a beautiful medium salmon color that comes from an extended period of skin contact (4 to 24 hours) with the grape skins that are actually a dusty purple in color (hence the name Pinot Gris which means means ‘gray pinecone’).

This wine has subtle aromas of green apple and pear. On the palate it has flavors of mango, peach and pear without the sharp “bright” acidity normally associated with Pinot Gris. This is apparently due to their approach of making this a “semi-dry” wine, meaning that it has a bit higher residual sugar.

Vitis Ridge keeps their prices affordable so you can open the bottle you want to drink anytime...not just for the special event. That makes this Vitis Pinot Gris a perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week! Next time you are in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, stop in at Vitis Ridge and meet their Tasting Room Manager, Brian Everest, to check out all their great wines. Cheers!

A Tour of Wine Grapes: Mourvedre

Mourvèdre & Monastrell🍷

Mourvèdre is a thick-skinned, late-ripening red wine grape native to Spain, where it is known as Monastrell. Though it originated on the Iberian Peninsula, it has also found a famous secondary home along France’s Mediterranean coast and Southern Rhône Valley.

In Spain, Monastrell is frequently bottled as a single-varietal wine. In France, however, Mourvèdre (moohr-VED-ruh) is rarely bottled alone; instead, it is blended with Grenache and Syrah to create famous GSM wines.

Monastrell (moh-nah-STRELL) wines from Spain’s hot, intensely arid, and semi-desert environments are very fruit-forward, smooth, and tend to be high in alcohol. Aromas include blackberry, dark chocolate, licorice, and smoke.

GSM blends from France incorporate Mourvèdre to add structure and deep color to Grenache and Syrah. These full-bodied wines have medium acidity and medium-to-high tannins. This blend yields a complex mix of red fruit flavors (like ripe strawberry, raspberry, and red currant) alongside darker fruit profiles (such as blackberry, plum, and blueberry).

Serving Tips:

  • Monastrell: Serve in a standard red wine glass at 60–68°F after decanting for at least an hour.

  • GSM Blends: Serve in an oversized red wine glass at 60–68°F, decanting for about 30 minutes.

Behind the Cork™ - Alta Vista Brut Rose

Alta Vista Brut Rosé ($18.99)

Alta Vista was founded by Count Patrick d’Aulan, heir of more than 250 years of winemaking tradition. With an enterprising spirit, he arrived in Argentina in the 1990s looking for the best regions of Los Andes.

The winery is located in Chacras de Coria, Mendoza. Having been built in 1890, it is a local heritage site of Mendoza.

Count Patrick d’Aulan and his family, former owners of Piper Heidsieck, one of the oldest Champagne Houses, developed the project and started the restoration.

This Alta Vista Brut Rosé is produced from Malbec (50%) & Pinot Noir (50%) that was sourced from the Albaneve estate vineyard. Using the Charmat method, the second fermentation took place in a pressurized tank.

This Brut Rosé is pale salmon in color with aromas of cherry, strawberry and floral notes. On the palate, this light-bodied wine has citrus notes, bright refreshing acidity and medium bubbles. While being on the sweeter end of the “Brut” range, the citrus and acidity combine to create agrapefruit-like finish with a combination of tartness and sweetness. [ABV: 12.8, TA: 7.6 g/L, pH:3.0, RS: 11 g/L]

This Alta Vista Brut Rosé is light and refreshing - a great sparkling wine that combines Alta Vista's French heritage with Argentina's unique terroir. That makes it a perfect fit as this week's Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Alta Vista Wines via Kobrand Wine and Spirits