Last weekend, while doing a rosé tasting at my favorite local wine shop, I tried a can of Vinho Verde rosé. The region of Vinho Verde DOC is located in northern Portugal, just south of the Minho River, which marks the border with Spain in this area. The region is known for producing gently sparkling white wines that are lightly sweetened to mask the pucker-inducing acidity. The wines are typically blends of indigenous varieties. In recent years, there has been a transition to focusing on wines of quality rather than mass quantities. In a region that has fertile land and ample rainfall, growers have been taking steps in the vineyard to control yields by trellising and pruning vines. This transition has also resulted in an increase in alcohol in the final product. Where the previous content was around 10%, it’s now not uncommon for wines to be closer to 14%. Recently, the region also started using the most planted red grape, Vinhão, in the production of popular rosé wine.
This week, I chose to crack open a can of non-vintage Este Vinho Verde rosé. Alternate format wine packaging has come a long way since the start of box wine over 50 years. Wines now come packaged in bag in box (BIB), cartons, pouches, plastic bottles, and cans. They are used for wines intended for early consumption because they do not allow much, if any, oxygen exchange, which limits the potential of maturation of the wine. Much research has been conducted, and continues to be conducted, regarding methods of lining containers to prevent altering the flavors and aromas of the wine. Most alternative packaging options are lined with an inert coating to prevent changes from occurring. In addition to them being convenient for the consumer, these packaging options also take up less space to store and incur a lower cost when shipping, not just because of their compact size, but also because they forgo the use of heavy glass bottles. They are also environmentally friendly, decreasing emissions during the manufacturing and shipping processes, as well as utilizing recyclable materials. The quality of the wine in these containers has also drastically improved. One of my favorite wineries began selling their flagship rosé in 3 liter boxes a couple years ago, and sold out within hours. Alternative formats are great for summertime activities like having at the pool, taking to the beach, opening at BBQs, and taking camping, just to name a few!
The rosé I opened is a blend of three indigenous red grapes from Portugal, Vinhão, Espadeiro, and Borraçal. The wine was a pale salmon color with a tiny trail of bubbles that arose from the base of the bowl. Aromas of ripe wild strawberries, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and ripe raspberries were noted without much effort. The gentle spritz was refreshing and enjoyable. The bubbles are created by the addition of carbon dioxide, like standard carbonated beverages. This wine also had a reasonable level of acid, without being overpowering. It tastes as though there is a small amount of residual sugar that was left behind after the fermentation process. The uncomplicated flavors of red fruit also appeared on the palate. This wine was an enjoyable rosé, the perfect example of the quintessential ‘porch pounder’ in warm summer weather. One thing to note with ‘single serving’ wine packaging is to consider the alcohol content prior to drinking 3 cans. This can, for example, is 9.5% alcohol and 250mL. This is the equivalent to a third of a standard bottle. As a result of their easy drinking nature, it’s not uncommon to only realize the effect of drinking a couple cans once standing up afterwards! For $4 a can, this was a great buy!
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 