I am upside down. Well, more accurately, I am bent over at the waist, nose to toe. Blood rushes to my head. Again I push my weeding tool into the ground - improving the blister now forming on my hand - against an invading army of dandelions.

As I stand straight, the Allman Brothers Band “One Way Out” pumps through my headphones while my hamstrings remind me that I am now too old to stay bent over for longer than a shoe tie.

One way out, indeed.

It’s quittin’ time

Inside the house, I uncork a bottle of Vinhos Norte Vinho Verde Cruzeiro Branco NV and fix a few small plates: pan fried eggplant; Cyprus olives; potato gratin; mashed fava beans with garlic oil; homemade bread.

The company Vinhos Norte was established in 1971 bearing the name of founder Manuel da Costa Carvalho Lima (& Filho) and operates today from northern Portugal under 3rd generation guidance.

Vinhos Norte Vinho Verde Cruzeiro Branco is produced from grape varietals Loureiro, Arinto, and Trajadura.

Tasting Notes:

Pale yellow straw color. Grassy and fresh with delicious acidity, a touch of residual sugar and spritz, this wine is absolutely thirst-quenching. Lemon-lime palate shows clean and simple-chic like the lines of mirrored style pieces. Subtle notes of green apple and ginger. 9 degrees of alcohol make for easy drinking. Lovers of Riesling will dig this one.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

If there were ever a wine for almost “any occasion”, this is it (think Prosecco). The wine does super well as an aperitif or with fish and vegetable plates: try baby shrimp with garlic and lemon, a spicy tuna dish, or perhaps marinated fresh anchovy or similar small fish; a bowl of mussel soup or wash down some barbecued pork served on a roll.

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“Yeah, actually, I do”, I’m thinking, having stumbled upon some very discounted bottles of Colledoro Solaluce 2005, remembering how good this wine drank last time I’d opened a bottle for dinner.

So, like a good little shopper, I buy a few bottles and head for home. That’s when I realize just what a lucky punk I am: the wine is drinking superbly, better even than I remember, entering into that window of prime time where a wine can really open the door to a different space.

I have written briefly on Colledoro Solaluce before and didn’t find much info about the producer available then. A VINIX friend ( thanks Giuliano !) was nice enough to forward me a link where I learned that the Colledoro estate is located in Italy’s Piedmont region, in the hilly area of Alto Monferrato, where they produce 3 wines from approximately 10 hectares under vine.

Colledoro Solaluce – the name means only light – is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Tasting Notes:
Straw yellow with deeper golden highlights. The wine still has that fresh, round, elegant palate that I appreciated in earlier tastings. But, it has developed a maturity that seems to unlock the wine’s internal doors: with a bit of air, it opens up into rooms of golden fruit …honey…walnut… herbs…petrol. Refined acidity races through an herby finish ending beautifully with a slightly bitterish grace note.

Food Pairing Suggestions:
Tailor-made for seafood, vegetable soups, all manner of salads and vegetable antipasti. Guessing room temperature chicken salad would also rock with this wine.

Related post on Vinix

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To set the mood, allow me a moment to share what are, IMHO, a couple of great collaborations:

Lennon / McCartney
DeNiro / Scorsese
Pasta / Fagioli

After tasting Luce Della Vite’s “Luce” and “Lucente”, I am inclined to add the names Frescobaldi / Mondavi to that brief list of names linked together in successful alliance.

Responsible for Tenuta Luce Della Vite, the collaborative project resulting in Luce and Lucente, the families Frescobaldi and Mondavi need no introduction to anyone interested enough in wine to be reading this blog. Suffice it to say only that these families have been leading forces in the world of winemaking.

(If you truly are unaware of the Frescobaldi / Mondavi histories, consider performing 30 minutes penitential research which you are hereby given.)

Luce Della Vite “Luce” 2008

Opaque, deep ruby color radiates warmth and vitality. Polished, rich scents of berry jelly, cherry tobacco, mint and black pepper. Suggestions of dark chocolate. Round and soft in the mouth underscored with exhilarating minerality / acidity. Excellent suite of sophisticated tannins come on like the stick attack of NYC bucket drummers. Long, meditative finish that seems to take you to tomorrow.

Luce is produced from Sangiovese (45%) and Merlot (55%) with long maceration on skins, aged in hand-split oak barrique (90% new, 10% used once) for 24 months.

Luce Della Vite “Lucente” 2009

Dense, clear ruby with amaranth reflections. Aromatic mélange of cherries, red berries, and strawberries, showing, as in Luce, suggestions of black pepper, chocolate. Red fruits transfer to a round, elegant palate. Deliciously silky, fine-grained tannins. Long, flavorful fruit-driven finish with hints of anise.

It is Merlot (75%) and Sangiovese (25%) that go into Lucente, fermented in stainless steel and aged for 12 months in 55% new French oak, 5% American oak, 40% French oak used once.

Luce and Lucente are stylish art wines that bring something of interest to the table for lovers of either traditional or international styles. Especially easy entry points into Italian wine for Cali lovers and vice-versa.

Talk about inspiration to drink more and write less: can you imagine the wait for website graphics to render? For digital photos or video to upload?? And OMG, losing the connection because of time-outs after waiting waiting waiting ???

Yes, the Internet has grown and computers have gotten more horsepower, applause applause, but I submit that the real unsung hero here is broadband ! Rock that broadband speed test and all that the Internet has to offer is just a few keystrokes, a few moments away.

Come to think of it, there is not much about keeping up this blog that doesn’t require the speed and persistent availability of broadband. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s still the work I enjoy, but I am very pleased with having to spend less time to complete it.

Oops. That nice red Ritter Sport wrapper is empty. Oh well. I pull the cork on a bottle of red and get ready to taste, make a few notes, and do a bit of producer research knowing my browser will render all those website graphics in … heck, they are rendered now.