Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho Scores 93 Points in The Wine Advocate

Say what you will about the points not mattering anymore, it's still exciting when one of your favorite producers lands a 93 in The Wine Advocate.  Parabens to the Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho 2012 for achieving this accolade.  The Quinta de Soalheiro were pioneers of the Melgaco portion of the Monção e Melgaco high elevation subzone of Vinho Verde, and in his review Mark Squires calls them "one of Portugal’s (and the world’s) top Alvarinho producers."

The review also makes a great case for the category of quality Alvarinho, saying "Treat this like quality wine. It is not stereotypical Vinho Verde. There is no fizz. It is dry. It will age well if well stored."  The other great news, aside from 2012 being a "perfect harvest" according to the winery, is that for once this is a wine that is available!  In my neck of the woods Ian Stalfort at The Wine Source and Lee Grandes at Wells Liquors, both in Baltimore, are two guys that have dedicated shelf and brain space to quality Portuguese wines for years.  Go see them!

http://www.the-wine-source.com/
http://www.wellswine.com/
 

Congratulations to this "sunny place"...Quinta de Soalheiro!

Wine Advocate Subscribers can check out the full review here:

http://www.erobertparker.com/newSearch/th.aspx?th=218914&id=1&___z=%2b16bbJQsgQQXc47kEaaCRQ%3d%3d

Greek whites take center stage in the NY Times

"Skip the insipid wines.  Go right to good bottles. Discriminate."

This is my new mantra!  In his self described rant leading up to some great Greek white recommendations for summer, Eric Asimov in the New York Times entreats us all to move past the mundane Pinot Grigios in an annual "default to generic summer wines."

"Why should anybody who cares about what they eat and drink settle for familiar and icy rather than something full of character?"  he questions.  "The wine industry has no problem with that sort of unconscious drinking. It feeds sales and increases profits. Hence it promotes the notion of “starter wines,” mediocre bottles that help ease newcomers past the shock of transition until they are ready to try the better stuff. Nonsense.  The idea is merely a rationalization for selling millions of bottles of mass-market junk wines. Skip the insipid wines. Go right to good bottles. Discriminate."   What an excellent retort to the loud and lazy camp decrying wine snobs and parading their bulk bottles around like badges of honor. The only real act of snobbery is saving the good stuff for ourselves!!


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/dining/reviews/white-wines-as-greek-as-the-sea.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&