Vinha da Fonte

Reserva – Red Blend –
25% Cabernet Sauvignon – 25% Castelão – 20% Syrah – 20% Touriga Nacional – 10% Allcante Bouschet

$7.99

Not a summer wine.

I feel as if I’ve failed this wine by drinking it at the wrong time. It’s been 95 degrees for the last week, and it will continue to be 95 degrees. I did not like this wine when I first sipped it. It felt completely off – musty cedar and gasoline overwhelmed my mouth. Warm as fuck. A spiceberry supreme. Not at all fitting in the heat of the afternoon. I made a face, but continued drinking. It wasn’t terrible… not like, literally siphoning gas from a parked car or anything. The flavors blended together tastefully. I wanted a top-off almost immediately.

That’s when I realized two things:

1. This wine is good, actually.
2. This wine is an autumn wine.

A camping wine. A beachside morning wine. Where there’s a brisk chill in the air and you’re keeping warm by the fire. Not fantastic for when you’re sticking your head in the freezer to stay cool.

Roasted snacks and garlic would pair well with this fireside blend. Bring some crystals for good measure. The mood becomes ceremonial as the wine bottle empties. Delightfully pagan shit. So burn the midnight oil, adjust your spectacles, and buckle up for this toasty concoction.