I mentioned wine tastings previously. It was about six years ago that I had a hot date with a bottle of wine. In honor of that anniversary; I thought it would be a little fun to do a wine review on a dollar friendly bottle of wine, Encostas Do Peso
Under $10 Selection
Tradition would have me check out Walgreens or my local grocery. My current situation has one rule: can I walk there? For this bottle of wine, I traveled to the Public Market, here in Milwaukee and perused the ‘under $10’ section. I picked a bottle that called out to me. This one was of particular interest due to its artistic label.
The image reminds me of a night in Paris. I walked into a bar as it was closing. I ended up having wine and cigarettes as an estranged member of the family; listening and laughing to familiar conversations that I understood without speaking/knowing the language. The label describes a fine table wine – and I gave the description some serious thought. It’s definitely what I’m seeking. A wine that’ll go with everything.
I have a recipe on my fridge for a delicious red wine butter sauce. It was written for me on a tab by a professional chef/bartender that works at another nearby wine store after we had a discussion about the lamb chops I was making and he thought I should know to make a good wine sauce, with a wine that’s under $10. It’s a great recipe, btw. Which is why it’s on my fridge. That said, if I won’t drink a wine, I won’t cook with it.
Is this wine worthy?
The Test
Espresso Bellavitano pairs better with a white wine. A nice cuvee, to be more specific, but due to my craving; we suffered the experience. I’m being dramatic. There was no harm, no foul with the pairing, it was just; I wanted the cuvee experience and was a little disappointed that I didn’t get that pop. Oh well, moving on.
The Horseradish Chive Havarti was picked up because it was in a bin labeled ‘please buy this’. Or perhaps it was called the bargain bin. I don’t recall. I knew I wanted cheese, that I’m only one person, and that a small block of something is better than nothing. I’m not a fan of horseradish and I picked this up anyway and, I have to say, I’m glad I did. Alone with the wine, it was nothing special. When paired with a nice sous vide chuck roast, my taste buds tingled (positively).
I included a generic block of sharp cheddar as it seemed like a thing to do. It was an okay experience. There was also some sourdough bread and olive oil that had the same generic impact. Breads a good thing to have, I mean – sandwiches are a thing even if they are somewhat open faced. The sourdough neither ruined nor added to the meal.
Dessert involved two chocolate bars, Tabal Dark Milk and hazelnut and Tabal chocolate peppermint rooibos. The Tabal dark choclate and hazelnut bar just reminded me of my anniversary. The other one, reminds me that I don’t need wine to enjoy chocolate.
I would definitely recommend giving this wine a try. I’d be happy to have it on my table and to share it at an occasion. Next time that I’m in a hurry and not looking to write a review, it’s coming home with me. Who knows, it might even wind up on my steak because it’s yummy.
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