How to Chill with Garcia. (Casal Garcia Vinho Verde)

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Casal Garcia Vinho Verde
Date:	12/08/08 (437 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Inexpensive, refreshing . low alcohol wine.

Disadvantages: Could easily drink too much as so easy on the palette.

It is 30 degrees in my apartment today, extremely hot and very humid. The only form of air conditioning I have is the basic model otherwise known as opening a window. I am in the process of designing a masterpiece for my husband's birthday which is in ten day's time. It is a collage of 50's memorabilia. Unfortunately my creative powers seem to have waned a little as the only thing I can concentrate on is this damn heat and being HOT! I have looked at my watch and it reads 6.10 Warsaw time so I think it's time for a drink but I am so hot and sticky I can't be bothered to move. It's times like this I wish I had a maid to pour me out a drink but I haven't so I will have to move eventually.

At times like this I could really drink an ice cold beer but I fear stocks are low and we may have actually run out of beer but we do have several bottles of wine which have been kindly transported by plane accompanied with some friends from Portugal. They know this particular wine is my favourite Summer drink and it can't be bought in Poland.

Okay, I have finally mustered up enough energy to move my tired body. I think I shall retire to the balcony to sit in my luxury chair amongst my plants and miniature garden and watch the 13 and 23 trams pass by. As Scarlett O'hara once said, 'I will think about it tomorrow.' It being the painting. Now I am going to sit back, relax, enjoy my glass of wine and write my review......

The wine I am drinking today is a Vinho Verde from Portugal. There are many Vinho Verde wines from Portugal to choose from and possibly the most famous is Mateus Rose. However Casal Garcia is the Vinho Verde wine I am going to review today as I think it is a little bit more classy and has a superb taste. I first came across this wine years ago in a small restaurant in the Algarve. I was attracted to the bottle and the design of the label. I am always lured by marketing and I thought the label was very stylish so the wine must taste good.

This particular Vinho Verde comes from one of the three major wineries in Portugal, the Aveleda estate, situated in northern Portugal. They are also the largest Vinho Verde producer.

Aveleda - the wine producers
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Quinta da Aveleda (the estate) existed a long time ago even as far back as the 11th century and has belonged to generations of the Guedes family ever since. Looking at the Guedes family tree it is quite spectacular. Two names that stand out in importance to me are D. Manuel Da Camara who was Governor and Captain General Viceroy of the State of India from 1778 until 1823, and Joao Goncalves Zarco who discovered Madeira.

However Manoel Pedro Guedes da Silva da Fonseca is the main man responsible for creating a company devoted to the exploitation of vines and production of wine. By the time he succeeded his father, he was already an influential man in the city of Penafiel, east of Oporto, being the local Mayor. Manoel was responsible for the building of new roads, an abbattoir, a new market and military building of which some of these are still standing today. He was a man with a great vision as well as having great entrepreneurial skills.

Manoel was very passionate about the wine industry and in the 1860's he was known to introduce innovative and revolutionary methods which were frowned upon by some as this region was very rural and conservative. In this period he planted vines practising the French Guyot method which is a sorting out of varities of grape in accordance to the soil. This meant that production could be easily monitored leading to excellence and superior quality.

Manoel had two sons, Manuel and Fernando. When their father retired Fernando bought his brother's shares and he became the sole proprietor. During his lifetime he devoted his time to carrying out his father's work and in 1933 was awarded the Agriculture and Industry Merit Order for his commitment and hard work.

Now the Aveleda estate is still a family owned company and is flourishing and very successful. Wines from the estate are sold all over the world including Brazil and many parts of Africa.

Casal Garcia - the brand
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The brand dates back to 1939. The shape of the bottle is the classic style but with the glass tinted blue and a dark blue seal around the cork. The label comes in two shades of blue depicting different times of production. My favourite design is the dark blue label which has emblazoned on top a delicate white lace design representing lace owned by the family for many generations. The family crest is present at the top of the label and this symbolises the connection between Aveleda's tradition and history.

In 2007 a special limited edition design was introduced to commemorate the success of the wine. This loses the traditional lace label and is replaced with modern writing stipulating that Casal Garcia is a world wine. Nice marketing technique but not as pretty as the traditional design.

The Wine
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Now we come to the best part - describing the wine. The wine itself is clear but with a very slight trace of pale yelow in the colour. It looks very stylish indeed in it's aristocratic bottle. What does it taste like? Well I am on my third glass and I can report to you that the taste is very delicate. I am not going to go all Oz and Jilly on you but the wine does have a fruity bouquet with a hint of fizziness. It tastes like a Cinzano Bianco without the herbal medicinal element. Fresh, with a slight taste of apple and a nose of citrus. It says on the bottle to serve at a temperature between 8 and 10 degrees but I disagree as I think it has to be put in the freezer until the bottle very nearly cracks. It has to be skull numbingly cold. The delicate, full flavoured wine has no tannins so in theory shouldn't give you a headache.

As this is not a very strong wine, 9%, and very drinkable you can easily drink more than you should especially on a very hot day so take care not to over indulge.

Grape Variety
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The wine is made from a blend of native Portuguese grapes which are Trajadura, Loureiro, Arinto and Azal. The vines are grown in soil that is a sand and granite mixture.

Please note that some facts have been sorced from the Aveleda website.

Other Information
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I personally like to drink this wine on it's own just as a refreshing drink in the Summer. However, most people like to drink it as an aperitif or with dishes such as fish, seafood, salads and some asian dishes.

Casal Garcia is now sold to 60 different countries across five different continents and it is considered to be the most popular Vinho Verde on sale.

Although that may be the case I am not sure if it is sold in UK supermarkets. I have searched the web and it doesn't show on the shelves of Tesco, Asda, or Sainsbury's.

There are on line shops where you can order from and the links are below;

http://www.americaswineshop.com/index.html - Price $6.99 per bottle

http://www.everywine.co.uk/ - case of 12 costs £44.49

http://www.winezap.com/ $3.59 per bottle

Conclusion
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Well after drinking three glasses of Casal Garcia I feel refreshed and relaxed. It's what I call a happy wine or at least it makes you happy when you have had a glass. It's inexpensive at under £4 a bottle and full of flavour. The design and colour of the bottle is attractive so can make a nice gift to take to a party. I would say it is a really good wine to drink in the hot summer months but remember to chill it and take it out of the freezer before it cracks. Enjoy what's left of your summer days in UK. Bon apetite!

Summary: A delicious, fruity wine when chilled.