Wine a Day

There are some unusual names for wines around. Mostly you will see a brand, region and grape variety in the front label of a wine bottle, but sometimes, this can be confusing. Sometimes you get some snazzy names put on wines for marketing. Something the company thinks will attract the kind of consumers they are going after. I am often wary of these unusual names on wines. I have nothing against wineries that do it, as it can introduce new people to the pleasure of wine, but there seems that they are hiding something by not branding their wine with the grape for all to see.

There are many examples of these snazzy names; Bitch, Le Vin de Merde, Frog’s Piss, Marilyn Merlot and Monte dos Cabaços. Although I am not sure if this one is for marketing, there probably is a mountain of virgins, but the name does get your attention. There are some traditional brands which can confuse people. I don’t expect people would thing reserve is a grape, but a think about Claret, Burgundy, Chablis and Cava or Champagne. These all describe a style of wine rather than a grape variety.

For this week’s Wine Experience of the Week, I would like to use another brand which unlike the examples above, can confuse people. I read recently somewhere on another blog, that Periquita was a grape variety in Portugal’s Setubal Peninsular region. Now I know there are some strange names for grapes, but no self-respecting grape wants to be known as a Parakeet! Maybe a lion, or an eagle if it has to be a bird, but not a Parakeet. Jose Maria Fonseca’s Periquita brand was one of the first wines to be sold pre-bottled. It has been around for over 150 years, so it is understandable the brand could be confused with a grape. A simple visit to the winery, or simply looking at the back label, will tell you that Periquita is made from predominantly Castelão grapes.

So with all this history, what is the wine like? Well it is a very good standard wine. It is always reliable and great value for under €10. Jose Maria Fonseca also make a Classico version which is aged longer in oak which will is better quality, however the original version still holds its own against wines of a higher price point. It matches tomato based pasta dishes very well, but can go with many different meals. It has rich fruity smell and a sharp initial taste, but it has good length to the taste and gets richer as it goes down. At 14% it is reasonably heavy, yet it drinks so easily you wouldn’t know it.

I am sure you have seen the brand at the wine store before. If you haven’t tried I encourage you to do so. I am sure you will enjoy the wine and the price tag too!