DANDELION WINE

You probably don’t need me to tell you that it’s hot, hot, hot here in Greenpoint- but we’re making the best of it by enjoying some of our ice cold wine (and strong AC) here at Dandelion! Here are a few of my favorites this summer, from all over the globe:

Fâmega Vinho Verde and Fâmega Rosé, $8.00

Hailing from Portugal, both wines are slightly effervescent, relatively low alcohol (around 10%), and totally refreshing.

The Vinho Verde, or “Green Wine”, is one of our most popular bottles here at Dandy. Made up of three grapes you may have never come across-Asal, Avesso and Pederna- this wine tastes of crisp green apples and citrus peel, and is best served very cold. Lily sometimes enjoys it on the rocks with a wedge of lime, while our neighborhood bike messengers turned me on to mixing it with a little bit of tropical fruit juice from the bodega on the corner. Passionfruit or guava juice are my faves. A Portuguese customer recently expressed horror when I told him this secret, but was kind enough to correct my pronunciation of the vineyard’s name- it’s FAH-muh-guh. Best of all, it’s very affordable! Pick up a couple of bottles and if you decide to get creative, let us know what you come up with in the comments below.

The same vineyard makes a beautiful pink wine to go with the green. Summer berries balance the tangy citrus notes on this yummy rosé. Again, with relatively low alcohol and a fantastic price, this is one you won’t be able to get enough of. I look forward to a long summer of rooftop sipping for this wine.

Vivanco Rioja Blanco, $12.50

The Vivanco family has been making wine for four generations in the Rioja region of Spain and this awesome white blend definitely shows their experience. Made up of hand-picked Viura (80%) and Malvasia (20%) grapes, the Vivanco reminds me of juicy pears, lychee, and pineapples, but a burst of acidity on the finish keeps it beautifully balanced. I first tried this at a Rioja tasting-turned sweaty dance party and it was the perfect refresher. Plus, the bottle is cool, and while you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover, we know good packaging is never overlooked by our discerning design-minded customers. The bottle was inspired by the original style used in the 18th century by the vineyard. History and quality- what more can you ask for?

Mittelbach Tegernseerhof Zweigelt Rosé, $16.00

Even though the name presents a real pronunciation challenge, we’ve been really thrilled with this zippy 2009 Austrian rosé since we first got it in last month, and I think it’s high time for us to express our love! This mouthwatering rosé has hints of watermelon, cherry, and strawberry on the palate with a crisp, dry finish. I think this gorgeous wine is incredibly versatile. I’m serving it for dinner tonight with a leafy spinach salad topped with sliced strawberries, goat cheese, and balsamic, followed by shrimp skewers from the grill. I promise there won’t be a test on how to say it…

[cox]* Colombard, $14.00

Named after the ladybugs that are naturally present on the vines, this vineyard in Southwestern France seeks to combine the best of old world and new world techniques in creating their innovative, fruit forward wines. Their Colombard is beautifully aromatic with a lot of zing on the palate- definitely a thirst-quencher with strong grapefruit, lemon, and passionfruit flavors. A perfect aperitif wine- this will get your mouth watering at the start of a boozy summer picnic.

Great wine that costs almost nothing!

Maria, the unofficial queen of Portugal, 

is in the house tonight pouring our best-selling wines:

FAMEGA and PORCA.   Read the rest of this entry »