Tasting - Principe Verdejo Frizzante

Name: Principe Verdejo Frizzanted

Variety: Verdejo 

Region: Castilla y Leon

Country: Spain

Vintage: 2022

Price: $8.99

Winery Review

"Minerals on the nose. Quite sweet, reminds me of a California Riesling. There's a hint of effervescence. This is my first blue wine." 

-Warren Lapine from Vivino

Wine Folly

The way the book describes this grape is quite interesting. I feel like the main descriptors are not very conducive with this specific bottle. The author states, "With high acidity and a subtle bitterness, Verdejo makes a great food wine and palate cleanser" (page 181). Bitter is quite possibly the last thing I would say to describe this wine, as this is the sweetest thing I have ever drank. Sweeter than koolaid honestly! Minerally, however, seems to be fairly accurate. Although not at the forefront of this flavor profile, I would not disagree with this overall descriptor. 

My Review

I had this wine for the first time when I had an interview with an architecture firm. We had a good laugh about the color of this wine, but I had to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by it. I definitely expected this to be one of the sweetest wines I have ever had, and that remains to be one of the most accurate assessments I have ever had. (Sometimes you have to judge books by their cover.) On the nose, I am unable to detect anything really. It's almost like Quite sad, because the flavor is pretty intense. Mostly in the sweet department, otherwise the flavor profile is quite elementary. It truly tastes like blue raspberries and sour patch kids without the sour dust. Hints of apple plague the initial tasting, but the sweetness really overpowers the palate. I can tell this wine can be quite divisive. I almost wonder if the reason it's carried is to be some sort of practical joke on the patron. Maybe the fact I bought it makes me less of a scholar of wine. Granted, I was never a scholar. Just an idiot college student with an interest. 

Although that sounds like an extremely mean thing to say, we need simple in our lives. Sometimes simple grants us comfort in our darkest moments. That's what this wine is to me. A simple, sweet, bright blue brew that makes me feel better in these moments of sadness. I enjoyed this bottle with my good friends at a picnic, and I wouldn't trade this moment for the world.